Tuckey Design Studio has completed a retrofit of Acland Burghley School in Tufnell Park, London, a classic example of 1960s Brutalist architecture. The design studio was tasked with modernizing and upgrading the school’s learning facilities, improving spatial flow, and rationalizing the floor plan.
The retrofit uncovered the original shuttered concrete Brutalist elements, using lightweight materials and warm colors to contrast and complement the heavy Brutalist features. New additions include a library, classrooms, and T-Level learning facilities, with bespoke timber bookcases and benches, and orange carpets replacing vinyl flooring.
Joel Donoghue, project lead at Tuckey Design Studio, said the team used a “light-touch” approach to minimize disruption and cost, adapting the existing fabric and configuration wherever possible.
The project outcome is a refreshed interior design language for the school that can be referenced across future upgrades. The school’s head of computing, media & social science faculty, Oliver Rosen, praised the spaces, saying they have had a significant impact on teaching and learning, attracting industry professionals to visit the school and undertake workshops with students.
