Harris Invictus Academy in Croydon designed by Scott Brownrigg is a Building Magazine Project of the Year Finalist.

The Project of the Year Award is one of the most competitive categories, open to all building typologies, with projects judged on design, sustainability, innovation, construction performance, procurement and teamwork with the client.

The Academy is an outstanding example of a Free School in West Croydon, one of the newest secondary schools in London. Procured through the ESFA’s Contractors Framework, the project was conceived by Invictus (a grass roots community organisation) working in partnership with the Harris Federation (a multi-academy trust) with the aim of meeting significant demand within the community for new, high quality school places for local children.

The £20m school occupies a constrained, inner-city site on London Road in West Croydon, an area that suffered extensive damage in the 2012 riots. With a demanding brief, limited funding and high planning expectations, the building delivers a learning environment that exemplifies the ethos of a Harris Federation education, offering exciting educational and community opportunities. It has had a transformation impact on the regeneration of the local, urban area.

The win reflects the successes that the practice is experiencing in pushing innovation within the education sector.

Of the win Clark Barton, Architect responsible for the project said:

“The win recognises our collaborative design approach and ability to resolve challenging issue connected with the site. The school’s design and its effectiveness as a learning environment, its impact on local regeneration and the team’s achievement in resolving key issues exemplifies good practice for 21st century education design, something all involved can be proud about”.

Chris Randall from the Harris Federation said of the school:

“We are delighted with the building, as are all our visitors and colleagues. In particular, the building’s presence and impact seeing it from London Road fulfils the challenging brief perfectly. And the internal spaces in terms of quality, use of natural light, and generous circulation space make the school feel calm and a great place for teaching and learning. They also contribute considerably to the effective management of behaviour.”