The JM Upward Academic Centre
The new J M Upward Academic Centre is the newest addition to the campus. Standing next to the Farrington Music School, overlooking the lake, the new building’s construction fulfils a long-term development plan to bring the academic and cultural life of the school together and clustered round the lake.
This academic centre, with its 14 classrooms and associated staff offices, resource and ICT facilities, meeting and tuition rooms has been built in memory of John Upward, a truly remarkable Headmaster of Port Regis over 35 years from 1933 until 1968.
It provides us with a building which is not only breathtaking in its design but also highly functional and ecologically sound. 12 boreholes descend 80 metres into the ground on the bank outside, and the associated technology provides the heating and cooling of the building without the burning of fossil fuels.
I think it is highly appropriate that we should be showing this generation of children how a high degree of sustainability can provide a wonderfully comfortable and functional building in which to work, whilst also doing what is ethically right and ecologically responsible.Â
Happily the building is also beautiful in its design with a stunning atrium with sandstone floor, central olive tree and children’s artwork and sculpture on display. A child came into the building at the end of the holidays and, gasping, said to her mother, “Wow – this looks like the Reception of a Dubai hotel”!! Praise indeed. But it is also designed to inspire children in their studies. A parent has written to me to say, “Jamie has just called me to say that the new classroom block is amazing and that he just loves going over there each day and having his lessons – even his Latin!” The building has been an outstanding success in every respect, and we hope that it will serve to provide an inspirational template for new buildings in other schools, both state and independent, throughout the country.
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