Education

Learning environments shape our future. Let's make them the best they can be.

Education environments can have an enormous effect on learning and teaching. Through constant engagement with those who teach, those who learn and those who manage, we’ve grown to understand their needs and how to meet them.

CGI with people walking past the entrance to a school

Buttress has designed education projects from primary to university level both nationally and abroad. With an array of challenging briefs and education pedagogies, our design responses have produced award-winning projects for leading schools, colleges, and universities. Whatever the budget, we create distinctive inspiring buildings that are conducive to learning.

23 November 2022

Creating a home from home

Associate Director, Matthew Burl, shares the key things we consider when developing boarding house design.

two schoolgirls in sports kit walk past a brick building

a glazed corner of a classroom looks out over a historic building. An orange chair sits in the corner.

a modern school library with arched roof and timber beams

the gable end of a stone boarding house for wycliffe college by Buttress

“The new Reade Music School is magnificent; one of the finest music facilities I have ever seen, with a splendid recital hall and an abundance of well-designed practice rooms and classrooms. It will make a perfect home for the flourishing musical activities of this marvelous school.”

John Rutter, Composer

Unlocking potential

When working with existing estates, we advocate for the sustainable choice of retaining and reusing where possible.

Where legacy buildings are listed we will draw upon the deep understanding of heritage within Buttress' studios and work with you to unlock their potential and retain them at the heart of the estate.

Speak to our education specialists

a rehearsal room at rncm with grand piano against a timber paneled wall

Featured journals

12 June 2023

Buttress' Alison Haigh, Certified Passivhaus Consultant

Congratulations to Buttress Associate, Alison Haigh, who has achieved becoming a Certified Passivhaus Consultant.

classroom with pupils at monmouth school

03 May 2019

Five principles for successful school design

How can good design promote excellence in teaching and learning?

External image of a very large and proud Victorian building. It is three storeys with feature arch windows at the ground floor.

28 November 2023

Buttress starts work at Chetham's School of Music

After months of planning and inspection, Buttress is set to embark on a significant project to restore Whiteley Hall at Chetham's School of Music, in the heart of Manchester.

Meet our team

Director

Matthew Burl

Matthew is an architect and director at Buttress who has led the successful design and delivery of new build and refurbishment projects across a range of cultural, academic and community-led sectors, both regionally and internationally.

He also coordinates the practice's sustainability activities and has led Buttress' B Corp journey helping the company achieve certification at the end of 2022.