Studio Lime redesigned Yate Academy’s sixth form spaces to create a student-led environment that supports independent learning and reflects the feel of a professional workplace.
Yate Academy, part of the Greenshaw Learning Trust, is regarded as one of the top secondary schools in the Southwest of England.
To aid the provision of a top-class education and attract motivated students into its sixth form, the trust determined that the existing accommodation required a complete overhaul.
Studio Lime were appointed to deliver a new, progressive environment that would allow students to flourish.
In collaboration with staff and students, Studio Lime developed a brief focused on identifying the facilities that would best support and nurture individual learning.
Through strategic space planning, a sense of logic and clarity was brought to the layout, ensuring that varied activities received the dedicated space they required.
These included bespoke booths for both individual and group study, clearly distinguishing between enclosed quiet zones and more social open areas. The catering facilities were significantly improved, offering students a sense of independence around food. The interiors were designed to feel more mature, echoing the atmosphere of a professional workplace. Particular attention was paid to acoustic absorption within the quiet study zones, with moulded cork tiles used to enhance sound control. A warm, sophisticated colour scheme and carefully considered lighting unified the spaces.
Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive since completion, leading to Studio Lime providing similar accommodation for other Greenshaw Learning Trust schools.
