The Thomas Deacon Academy is a truly modern educational establishment. Amalgamating local high schools for 2200 pupils, the design by Foster and Partners is focused around a central open atrium with perimeter classrooms and breakout spaces forming the main teaching spaces.

A full performance based approach was the key to unlocking the fire safety challenges within the largest academy in the Country. The open central atrium is protected with a bespoke smoke control strategy. A full computational evacuation model was undertaken to demonstrate the time for escape was less compared to the time for smoke from a realistic fire to become dangerous.

Engineers: Buro Happold
Fire Engineer: Andy Nicholson at Buro Happold

Client: Thomas Deacon Academy

Architect: Foster & Partners

Image: Dalags, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons