The new 2,000sqm building at Putney High School, designed by Broadway Malyan, will provide nine new science labs, a drama studio, a new music department and a forum that has been designed to develop the practice and performance of the spoken word.

The school, which is part of the Girls Day School Trust (GDST), is located on Putney Hill that rises from the River Thames up to Wimbledon Common and responding to the rising ground, the building looks in two directions with four storeys on to the street and three levels facing on to the school lawn.

“The design process has advanced from two directions – designed from the outside to be part of the school and the surrounding neighbourhood, and from the inside to create high quality spaces for the students to learn.

“The school is a mix of eclectic architecture, from Victorian villas to 1980s post-modern glass and concrete buildings, all within a single ‘L’-shaped site. Our approach was to create a reserved and elegant building that ties in with the best of the rest of the architecture while providing a high quality but quiet addition to the existing streetscape.”

The building will be constructed predominantly of London brick but will also have subtle details including copper clad strips alongside the main windows as it balances the traditional materials used on surrounding Victorian villas with the contemporary detail on the recently refurbished adjoining Performing Arts Centre.