Caterham School, Surrey

Caterham School is an independent co-educational day and boarding school located in Caterham, Surrey. Perega acted as structural engineers for a series of improvements to the school.

Davey Building: This building houses the school’s new science facility, kitchen and canteen. The ground floor consists of a new kitchen serving 950 covers a day alongside a 250 seat canteen. The three remaining levels each contain four, state-of-the-art, science laboratories and preparation rooms. The structure was cut into a chalk hill side and is of traditional load bearing masonry with a steel core.

The North Wing: The North Wing is a multi-functional space for maintenance workshops, accommodation, and offices. A reinforced concrete frame with flat slabs provides the floor make-up necessary to achieve levels to link with existing buildings, whilst providing the required acoustics and a level soffit for service routes.

The roof utilises a strutted timber structure which optimises space whilst keeping the ridge height below planning restrictions.

Leathem Room: This project involved the provision of six new classrooms constructed over the existing building. Works included modifying the existing space to create a social area, including a terrace overlooking the main sports ground. The new structure is light weight steel and timber, designed so the existing structure only needed minimal sympathetic strengthening.

Performing Arts Centre: As part of the school’s facilities improvement programme, the performing arts centre was given a two storey extension to the south western end. Perega provided structural input for the extension, which comprised two additional performance halls with retractable seats, toilet, coat storage and large foyer space. This was formed with structural steelwork and in situ concrete floors. The northern end of the extension is cut into the chalk, protected by a retaining wall and of reinforced concrete construction.