We design schools and colleges that inspire and transform the lives of pupils, staff and their local communities. Our inclusive, adaptable learning environments accommodate different ways of thinking, feeling and learning.
Schools and colleges
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A trusted partner to schools and colleges
HLM has over 25 years experience working with mainstream and specialist schools, colleges, academies and universities around the UK and Ireland. We’ve worked with local authorities, contractors, developers and academy trusts. Our education team has been privileged to collaborate with the Department for Education (DfE) on various frameworks, both as architect and technical advisor.
In both rural and urban communities, HLM’s architects, interior designers, landscape architects and sustainability specialists work together, to expertly design and deliver remodels, retrofits, expansions, and new build school and college projects.
Our thoughtful design approach and indepth experience ensures that every project in our diverse education portfolio delivers engaging, resilient and adaptable teaching and learning spaces.
Sector lead
At HLM we design inclusive, inspiring learning environments that respond to the diverse needs of pupils and staff. Our work in schools and colleges is rooted in collaboration, sustainability and a deep understanding of how educational spaces can positively shape lives and communities.
Claire Wakelin
Our expertise
Whether in mainstream or specialised settings, our inclusive approach actively supports a range of teaching and learning styles. We recognise that every classroom is diverse, with every pupil thinking in a different way.
Our education team has worked on over 2,000 SEND places across the education sector. So as standard, we design whole school environments with SEND in mind. We cater for diverse learning and communication needs appropriate to the age and stage of learning, and ensure all children have the resources they need to thrive.
In specialised SEND settings, our design teams follow the lead of pupils with SEND and their staff, continuously seeking feedback to meet their specific requirements and build on individual strengths. We create opportunities to break down barriers and foster inclusivity by incorporating spaces that can be used by parents, carers, families, local clubs and the wider community.
Our education and masterplanning teams work with schools and colleges to identify strategic opportunities to create safer, greener, adaptable, and more sustainable and economical places of learning. Education estates that are connected to nature, and well integrated into their local communities for the long term.
We’re well-versed in school safeguarding and privacy priorities, and the importance of active learning and nature-based activities on our children’s health and wellbeing. We understand how learning and teaching spaces will need to respond to changing curriculums in the future. And – by bringing in our experience from related sectors – we take time to understand the context of the school estate within its landscape and community connections.
Schools and colleges following the DfE net zero carbon pathway will know that sustainable design, retrofit and conservation are all crucial elements for the design of resilient, future-proof education environments.
Our expert teams push the boundaries of traditional education design. We leverage research, digital innovations and sustainable practices – incorporating off-site modular construction and Passivhaus principles – and we’ve adopted the RIBA 2030 Sustainable Outcomes targets. We carry out detailed engagement with key school stakeholders to ensure responsiveness to current and future needs. We call this holistic approach our ‘long life, loose fit’ philosophy.
Our approach preserves our built heritage, promotes sustainability and adaptability, and delivers energy efficient, comfortable and resilient spaces.
Delivering long term social value is in our DNA. We’ve built a wealth of experience designing outstanding and inspiring educational environments that transform lives, enhance learning experiences, and provide great value to the communities they serve.
For our schools and colleges to be socially successful as well as technically successful, we embed social value into every aspect of design. To nurture the health and wellbeing of our children and their teachers, we create meaningful connections to nature. We design spaces that can be used by the whole community, while preserving the privacy and safety of the school setting. And we deliver resilient, flexible spaces that can adapt as the needs of our children, their families and communities evolve in the future.
We thoughtfully design secondary schools and colleges to accommodate diverse learning styles, ensuring inclusive and adaptive environments that consider the student and teacher experience. Drawing on our higher education expertise, we create spaces that support various ways of learning, and emphasise inclusivity through innovative interior design. Our school designs promote social learning, preparing students for the transition to university and the wider world by introducing elements they will encounter in higher education and professional settings. By incorporating facilities for vocational courses and post-16 services, we provide practical stepping stones that bridge school, university and later life, equipping students with the skills and experiences they need for future success.
SEND inclusive environments
Whether in mainstream or specialised settings, our inclusive approach actively supports a range of teaching and learning styles. We recognise that every classroom is diverse, with every pupil thinking in a different way.
Our education team has worked on over 2,000 SEND places across the education sector. So as standard, we design whole school environments with SEND in mind. We cater for diverse learning and communication needs appropriate to the age and stage of learning, and ensure all children have the resources they need to thrive.
In specialised SEND settings, our design teams follow the lead of pupils with SEND and their staff, continuously seeking feedback to meet their specific requirements and build on individual strengths. We create opportunities to break down barriers and foster inclusivity by incorporating spaces that can be used by parents, carers, families, local clubs and the wider community.
Identifying strategic opportunities
Our education and masterplanning teams work with schools and colleges to identify strategic opportunities to create safer, greener, adaptable, and more sustainable and economical places of learning. Education estates that are connected to nature, and well integrated into their local communities for the long term.
We’re well-versed in school safeguarding and privacy priorities, and the importance of active learning and nature-based activities on our children’s health and wellbeing. We understand how learning and teaching spaces will need to respond to changing curriculums in the future. And – by bringing in our experience from related sectors – we take time to understand the context of the school estate within its landscape and community connections.
Low carbon, resilient environments
Schools and colleges following the DfE net zero carbon pathway will know that sustainable design, retrofit and conservation are all crucial elements for the design of resilient, future-proof education environments.
Our expert teams push the boundaries of traditional education design. We leverage research, digital innovations and sustainable practices – incorporating off-site modular construction and Passivhaus principles – and we’ve adopted the RIBA 2030 Sustainable Outcomes targets. We carry out detailed engagement with key school stakeholders to ensure responsiveness to current and future needs. We call this holistic approach our ‘long life, loose fit’ philosophy.
Our approach preserves our built heritage, promotes sustainability and adaptability, and delivers energy efficient, comfortable and resilient spaces.
Delivering social value
Delivering long term social value is in our DNA. We’ve built a wealth of experience designing outstanding and inspiring educational environments that transform lives, enhance learning experiences, and provide great value to the communities they serve.
For our schools and colleges to be socially successful as well as technically successful, we embed social value into every aspect of design. To nurture the health and wellbeing of our children and their teachers, we create meaningful connections to nature. We design spaces that can be used by the whole community, while preserving the privacy and safety of the school setting. And we deliver resilient, flexible spaces that can adapt as the needs of our children, their families and communities evolve in the future.
Designing for future success
We thoughtfully design secondary schools and colleges to accommodate diverse learning styles, ensuring inclusive and adaptive environments that consider the student and teacher experience. Drawing on our higher education expertise, we create spaces that support various ways of learning, and emphasise inclusivity through innovative interior design. Our school designs promote social learning, preparing students for the transition to university and the wider world by introducing elements they will encounter in higher education and professional settings. By incorporating facilities for vocational courses and post-16 services, we provide practical stepping stones that bridge school, university and later life, equipping students with the skills and experiences they need for future success.
Interior design for inclusion and wellbeing
We understand the importance of interior design in schools to create engaging, flexible spaces, with a focus on pupil and staff wellbeing.
For both mainstream and specialist SEND settings, our interior design team create varied, inclusive spaces that allow students to learn and progress with their individual needs in mind. We explore the relationship between these key spaces, the flow and movement of the people using the building, the impact of colour on the sensory experience, and the relationship to external spaces and the landscape.
Our interior designers specialise in colour theory, and how different colours impact emotions, behaviour and wellbeing. We use colour intentionally; to create specific spaces suitable for different activities. To create calming environments, to improve energy levels and enhance learning, and to create a sense of place and belonging.
A nurturing learning landscape
HLM’s landscape team create school grounds that inspire, nurture and promote healthy environments through learning. We encourage interaction with nature to boost wellbeing.
Working closely with the design team, we promote the integration of outdoor spaces from the early stages of every project. Through early engagement with school stakeholders and the design team, we’re able to realise the potential of the school landscape to meet pupil and teachers’ educational, physical and emotional requirements.
We consider the landscape to be a play area, a safe space, an opportunity to burn off energy, and a place to learn about the nature around us.
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Firside Junior School breaks ground
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Architect for school refurbishment: why smarter design is transforming existing school buildings
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Passivhaus schools UK: why are they proving the sceptics wrong
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SEN school Architects are changing what inclusive education looks like
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What net zero school design actually demands of an architect
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New multi-use hall at the Piggott School opens
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A step forward: the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard published
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Reaching new heights: Bohunt Sixth Form tops out
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Construction Underway at Fernhill School
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Designing for a Sustainable Future: HLM Architects named finalist for Net Zero Architect of the Year
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Construction begins on new multi-use hall at The Piggott School
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Ysgol Pen Rhos – A lasting legacy
