Building Services Design: LEDA
Client: Queen Margaret's School
Architects: Associated Architects, Birmingham
Contract Value: £2,600,000.
Completion: Jan. 2002

LEDA carried out full mechanical and electrical services design for new Theatre and Chapel buildings, including a low energy assisted natural ventilation strategy for the main auditorium and a low energy theatrical lighting installation.Project Details Queen Margaret’s School for girls occupies a substantial listed country house in the village of Escrick to the south of York.
It is a sensitive rural location in a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The school marked their centenary with a major development including studio theatre and a hall for chapel, assembly and music performance.
Solution
Two very different but complementary principal spaces are provided, both with galleries. The larger formal rectilinear chapel seats the whole school and has an acoustic for music. By contrast, the unusual egg-shaped plan of the theatre is a more intimate space tuned for speech. It is flexibly designed for theatre-in the-round, thrust, or a traditional proscenium stage. A free-form double height glazed foyer serves both spaces.The new development complements the original 17th century house and mature parkland setting. An external amphitheatre resolves changes in level and existing formal terracing.
Low energy considerations include assisted natural ventilation with special cupolas,super-insulation and intelligent boilers and controls.