ydenham High School is a private independent school for girls aged 4 to 18 years old. The London based school consists of two parts, the prep school and the high school. Founded in 1887 by The Girls Public Day School Trust, the trust’s vision was to claim as good an education for girls as their brothers.

The school has continued to expand profusely in both numbers of pupils and educational facilities on the premises.

When Architectural firm Open London designed a contemporary extension to the high school dining area, IQ were enlisted to provide the glazing, with a view towards maximising the amount of natural daylight.

Previously, the high schools dining facilities consisted of one main building, a historic school hall. The school had outgrown the facilities and the lighting was not reflective of the levels of productivity flowing through the halls.

IQ used a curtain walling system complete with aluminium doors and windows. Having a transparent façade allowed the extension to seamlessly blend with the original brickwork of the building. Using glass as a building material is an exceptional way of preserving the building’s aesthetic simultaneously with introducing modern elements.

The dining room, complete with floor to ceiling glass, required solar shading for comfortable dining in the summer months. IQ installed a solar shading cover to the building exterior, complete with electric movable panels for optional shading options.

Inside the dining room, the natural light is encouraged to flow through the space further by frameless rooflights. The original windows remain in the previously exterior wall of the red brick building, therefore the use of floor to ceiling glass encourages the paths of light to flow through the extension and into the main building.

All glazing used was coated in a low e coating for extra clarity, ensuring attention is not detracted from the educational facility’s eclectic demeanour.