The building is designed for a private school, which includes all lower and middle educational levels – Elementary school, Lower Secondary School, International General Certificate of Secondary Education and International Baccalaureate Diploma Program. It will replace the existing temporary buildings of the school, which will be demolished.The project site is located in a densely populated neighborhood, which has been developing very fast in the last decade. The design goal was to create a modern, healthy, safe, energy efficient and beautiful environment for children of different ages. This had to fit in a relatively small plot, surrounded by residential buildings. The main challenge of the project was to use the area in a most efficient way so that there would be enough place for outdoor activities, sports, and recreation. Therefore, a compact trapezoid shape of the plan has been chosen, which corresponds to the building lines. The spatial organization is logical, clear, and easy to orientate. The main entrance from the street opens to a spacious hallway, where children can easily find their way to the classroom in a nice, joyful, and green environment. There are different seating areas, which can be used for unformal learning activities or relaxation. 36 classrooms are distributed on four floors. The dimensions of the classrooms allow for various layouts and flexible furniture arrangement. The youngest kids study on the ground floor and can make the best use of the garden. There are the medical care room and most of the offices. The classrooms of the elder children are on the upper floors. All the rooms, where children spend most of their time are oriented to the South. The offices, the chemistry, biology, drawing, and language cabinets face the street to the North.All public spaces – the canteen, the sports hall, the library, the dance studio, and the theater hall are concentrated in the wider part of the building. They have a separate entrance from the West and can be used by the whole community of the neighborhood. All parts of the building are accessible for people with disabilities. There is a large open-air playground and recreation facilities in the school yard. We believe that the new British School in Sofia will improve the quality of life in the whole area.
