Christ's College Secondary School in Guildford replaces a failing 1960s secondary school, reconnects the local community through a new public route, and instils a sense of civic pride.

Staff, pupils and visitors enter into a light-filled, three-story atrium clad in timber that radiates a generous theatricality, the focal point within a compact building footprint.

A beautifully crafted brick exterior is punctuated with windows set deep into the façade, while the innovative ‘breathing wall' system provides each classroom with sustainable heating and ventilation through the perforated brick skin.