The Royal Grammar School Guildford, is working with international architecture practice Bogle Architects to create the school’s first campus in the UAE. Every part of the forward-looking school has been designed to facilitate the Royal Grammar School Guildford’s innovative approach to teaching and learning, while utilising eco-friendly design modifications to ensure that the building is a sustainable hub.

Located within Majid Al Futtaim’s flagship Dubai community Tilal Al Ghaf – which also includes residential, commercial, leisure and retail elements – the Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai is Bogle Architects’ first design project in the UAE and will accommodate and support up to 2,100 pupils from Early Years through to Prep and Senior School.

The impressive campus is set over approximately 40,000sqm, with classrooms, labs and other learning spaces linked by a beautiful ‘street’ concept featuring a lush, central atrium of trees, plants and living ‘biophilic’ walls.

The ‘street’ serves as a communal hub and breakout space for pupils as well as an extension of every classroom, providing a thoroughly modern and flexible learning environment with nature at its heart to reinforce pupil wellbeing. There will also be a 500+ seat, multi-purpose auditorium, an impressive double-storey library, a multi-functional sports facility including a 25m swimming pool, a smaller learning pool and a full-size football pitch.

The campus design seeks to maximise the school’s sustainability and provide an environment that aids children and staff wellness. The stepped design of the main building, with each successive floor expanding outwards, ensures the classrooms are self-shaded from the year-round Dubai sunshine, mitigating solar impact. This smart design feature will also provide the younger children located at ground level with 27 shaded Early Years classrooms with exterior and interior play areas. The Facility will also provide passive ventilation and biophilic elements, creating create a cool, comfortable learning environment that supports pupils in their studies.

The facility is being constructed by Multiplex, a leading and award-winning global construction company who have been established in Dubai since 1997.

Ian Bogle, founder of Bogle Architects, commented: “This is our first project in the UAE and the environmental challenges were clear from day one, so we wanted to make the building as passive as possible. This is where the stepping structure offered a solution for self-shading but also created an internal hierarchy for the distribution of children over the height of the building. The largest spaces at the top for the older children and the more intimate on the lowest floor for the younger children. We are delighted that the project is developing and have really enjoyed working closely with the Royal Grammar School Guildford Leadership team in creating what will be a fantastic addition to the heritage of the school.”

RGS Guildford Dubai will open in September 2021, subject to KHDA approval and completion of construction at the campus in Tilal A lGhaf.