From the original brutal 1960s entrance, we have created a sensuous and elegant stair to draw people into the main school theatre. Originally developing the options in sketch up, we then went on to develop a range of ideas which we presented to the governors in virtual reality.

Again, the power of the VR to explain and showcase our ideas allowed us to win the support of the governing body to progress with this most complicated of schemes in the heart of the school.

At the heart of the scheme is the new balustrade, laser cut out of 12 mm thick steel straight from our CAD drawings, folded and rolled to exactly match the existing profile and shape of the staircase. With virtually no room for error, pressing the button to cut the steel was a nervous affair.

In the end the scheme went to plan and has been a wholehearted success for the school.