Richmond Adult Community College – Brick Awards Winner – Latest

Richmond Adult Community College – Brick Awards Winner

Richmond Adult Community College (RACC) has received two accolades at this years Brick Awards; Best Education building and Best Refurbishment project.

RACC is a campus college providing adult learning, training and personal development in Richmond. Located within the Central Richmond Conservation Area the original school building was constructed in 1909 with various extensions added between 1913 the 1970s creating additional teaching space, a gym and a studio theatre – The Queens Charlotte Hall.

Working with Duggan Morris Architects, the challenge was to improve access and flexibility and provide additional space to allow an offsite facility to be closed. This was achieved through an initial assessment of the existing buildings and their suitability for reuse. This was complex – the buildings were individually well built – but with floors at widely differing levels unified access would be impossible. The buildings were therefore retained as brickwork shells with new steel frames inserted within them.

One of the retained buildings combined a large auditorium, Queen Charlotte Hall. Too big for RACC, it was rehoused within the existing brickwork shell with the balance of space creating breakout space and classrooms.

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