This includes the approach to the school, the entrance experience and clarity of how to navigate the school when you enter. The Brighton College identity should bedisinctive from the very beginning, with extra care being taken to create a premium gateway to the rest of the college.
A Brighton College campus should be identifiable but impressive. It is important that the buildings strike a balance that reflects the sophisticated, premium brand of Brighton College while not becoming ostentatious. The scale and massing should be carefully considered so that the appearance of the schools, particularly from distant views or as part of an overall street scene, convey buildings well suited to the local character and context.
The boundary should take inspiration from the location and history of the site. Brighton College UK has a ‘traditional’ feel indicative of British educational buildings of the era, which combines the use of stone, flint, wrought iron and manicured planting. Consider inspiration from the boundaries of hotels and embassies, recognising that any boundary should be contextually specific and not encumber the architecture and silhouette of the buildings.
The boundary treatment is to embody a balance of security, privacy, protection, and visual permeability and transparency where appropriate. Clear, good quality signage and branding should feature in the boundary. Planting within the curtilage of the Campus can be utilised to soften necessary harder boundary treatments.
A security presence or porterage lodge with clear signage lodge should feature at the main point of access within the boundary. This should still be inviting and welcoming and not overwhelming or oppressive. This is a transition space: a clearly signposted point to move between the outside world and the school, creating a strong sense of arrival. If the threshold has a visual icon this may be used throughout the campus as a motif, such as a distinctive archway.
Visitors should move across the boundary/threshold into a visible, transparent and inviting space. A human presence should be emphasised in this space to promote an inviting and hospitable atmosphere. The nature of the main entrance will be site specific, depending on territory and age level of pupils. The path of movement from an external space into an internal space should feel intuitive and be unimpeded. The immediate interior of the space should provide instant clarity about where to move, enquire or reflect. The space should feel open and bright.
