Bristol Metropolitan College

• Location:

  Bristol UK

• Site Area:

  8.4 Hectares

• Client:

  Skansk

• Architects:

  Wilkinson Eyre Architects

• Engineers:

  Arup
  Buro Happold

• Quantity Surveyors:

  Turner Townsend

• Project value:

  £13.4 million

Bristol Metropolitan College is one of four new schools built in the Bristol area as part of the first phase of the government’s Building Schools for the Future (BSF) initiative.  Grant Associates were appointed as consultant landscape architects and were involved in the project from the initial bid stage through to completion, delivering an efficient, attractive, exciting educational environment which allows pupils and teachers freedom of movement, accessibility and inclusion.

Highlights within the scheme include a terraced amphitheatre space, a new avenue of lime trees leading to the main school entrance and an ecological wetland attenuation area. A new school arboretum has been created, consisting of different species of oak with origins reflecting the diverse ethnicities of the students.
 
The landscape was considered a vital component from the outset, and is integral to the success of the project. With effective use of sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS) and the educational wetland area, the landscape has contributed to the school achieving a ‘Very Good’ BREEAM rating.