Designed by Sheppard Robson Architects, Barony Campus consolidates five schools into one campus, creating a centre for education and culture for the towns of Cumnock and neighbouring Auchinleck in Ayrshire, Scotland.
Conceived and organised as four connected structures, the project for East Ayrshire Council the campus includes a nursery, primary school, secondary school, supported learning centre, and sports facilities. An internal elevated route cuts through the atria connecting each of the blocks.
The external appearance and massing are determined by the large internal spaces, material choice including brick and sandstone, as well as the local design vernacular. Brick walls combined with sandstone and pitched roofs mediate between the scale of the school and adjacent residential developments.
A light buff coloured brick was chosen for the façade, its tone continually changing depending on time of day, weather, and seasons. The brick, used in tandem with steel sheet cladding, is intended to evoke the materiality of nearby agricultural buildings.
A smooth black brick made by Ibstock is employed on the south elevation, providing a robust base course where the sheet cladding transitions from roof to wall. It also serves as the main brick for the sports block and energy centre buildings. The colour references the communities’ mining heritage, while also adding visual variation and highlighting the building’s importance as a community sports hub.
