Project is architect’s first win under the Academies Framework

Nightingale Associates has won its bid to design the £6.4 million refurbishment and extension of the Oxford Spires Academy for Oxfordshire County Council.

The practice will work with Kier Construction on the project, its third partnership with the contractor and its first win under the Department for Education’s Academies Framework.

Oxford Spires Academy will be a three-storey secondary school containing ICT teaching and “breakout” spaces, sciences labs, sixth form study and social areas and a 330-seat lecture theatre.

The project also involves the refurbishment of existing school facilities including humanities and English classrooms and an art gallery.

Nightingale associate Tom Groves said: “The client wanted the new building to showcase their business and ICT specialism and create a high quality frontage to their site.

“Our design is a simple and elegant solution using appropriate external finishes and providing an atrium space animated by ICT breakout facilities and graphics.”