Former Treyew County Primary Infants School

Former Treyew County Primary Infants School

This single-storey infants' school was built between 1959 and 1961 by architects FK Hicklin, Harry Dootson, Michael Kirkbride and G Harper of the Cornwall County Council Architects' Department. It was later converted to use as a community centre and was extended in the 1970s.

The school is constructed on a steel frame with pre-cast concrete roof units. The external walls comprise large areas of glazing within uPVC framing (with some surviving aluminium-framed units) above solid coloured panels, combined with Delabole slate-stone cladding. The flat roof has an asphalt covering.

The plan consists of five hexagonal units linked together in a cross arrangement, orientated north-west to south-east, with a further hexagonal unit to the north. Each unit is accessible via two external doors. The main entrance is located on the south-west elevation of the north-west unit.

The building's elevations are formed by the canted walls of the hexagonal units. Those facing south and east display three faces, while those to the north and west form a V-shape. The elevations combine slate-stone cladding with framed and glazed units, featuring horizontal-sliding two-pane windows (mostly replacement uPVC unless otherwise stated) above solid coloured panels. A clerestorey with timber fascia runs around almost the entire building.

The entrance elevation faces south-west and includes a double-height stone-clad tower, louvred on its south-east face with a shallow monopitch roof, and a recessed entrance fitted with a replacement door. A boiler flue rises from the roof beside the tower. The north elevation contains a two-storey tower providing access to the boiler room and double doors to the former kitchen. The classroom unit to the left retains aluminium-framed windows and doors. A raised apron with slate-stone boundary walls extends in front of the north elevation. A covered way connects the main building to the 1970s extension to the north. The extension follows the main building's glazing pattern; its south-west and north-east elevations are fully glazed with no stone cladding, and all glazing and doors use aluminium framing. Within the covered way are two pairs of double-sliding doors opposite each other. The extension's main entrance faces north-east, and concrete steps to the east originally connected to the adjacent primary school.

At the rear and east of the building, the canted elevations create small courtyards accessible from the classrooms and central hall. The glazing system continues with double doors central on the hall elevations and an additional clerestorey above. The eastern courtyard is on two levels, serving the hall and north-east classroom unit at the lower level and the south-east classroom unit at the upper level.

The main entrance leads into a small lobby with slate-stone walls—the only interior use of this material—featuring an inserted reception window and the original 1961 opening-ceremony plaque. Beyond an inserted door and screen, the corridor turns right. Service rooms open from the corridor: a reception area, the former larder and kitchen (now subdivided and refitted), two cupboards and a WC. The entrance corridor floor is woodblock, while the former kitchen, cupboards and WC have concrete tile flooring. Cupboard and WC doors are plywood with ribbed-glass transom lights. Double doors with full-height glazing and a ribbed-glass transom light at the corridor's end lead into the central hall.

Within the hall, timber steps with simple handrails lead to the south-east classroom. Classroom doors are plywood with two-leaf folding panels (fixed) on the right and inserted doors on the left. Flanking the steps are cupboards with aluminium louvres housing services, topped by smaller cupboards with plywood doors and ribbed-glazed transom lights. On either side, external walls are entirely framed and glazed across three bays divided by vertical steel stanchions, with double doors placed centrally. To the left of the entrance are plywood double-doors to a cupboard; to the right is the replacement kitchen, open to the hall. Eight-leaf folding screens (now fixed) flank these, serving the north-east and south-west classrooms; the left screen has a single inserted door, the right has a double door. Services and pipework are hidden behind plywood fascias above windows and screens. The floor is covered with linoleum.

Each classroom has an identical layout with two 'pods' on two external walls with an external door between them, and heating units and fitted cupboards (possibly with replacement doors) on the opposite wall, also with an external door. The pods have glazed transom lights and blackboards facing into the classroom. Some original plywood doors with horizontal aluminium push-plates survive. The south-west and north-east classrooms connect to the central hall via folding screens (now fixed) with recessed handles on the classroom side. Floors have linoleum and carpet coverings, though some pods and 'messy' areas retain concrete tile flooring with concrete skirtings. The north-east classroom retains a complete 'messy' area floor, and the south-west classroom retains an original double sink in its 'messy' area. The extension retains a complete woodblock and concrete-tiled floor with the same layout and fittings.

Throughout the interior, plywood doors with ribbed-glass transom lights represent the original specification. All ceilings are suspended below the original structure. Wall finishes and light fittings are modern.

The southern courtyard contains a low central octagonal 'stage' constructed of triangular concrete slabs with concrete steps on three sides, creating an amphitheatre-like space accessed from the central hall and south-west classroom. Triangular concrete-slab paving extends around most of the building and forms half-hexagonal steps at external classroom entrances.