WIP: The Holy Light Academy

The Holy Light Academy Main School Building

In my subject of A2 Graphic Products, the subject where I made The Flame Kris, The Hyorinmaru Ring and The Droplet of Light I am making a final project. Im going off to do architecture at my university by the end of this year, and I chose to do the "Iconic Architecture" Project for Graphic Products. I have to design a piece of architecture that is iconic, like the Sydney Opera House, or the Effiel Tower. I thought up of alot of buildings, and in the end I settled on designing a school academy.

Now it was coincidence that an old school near my school, was going to be destroyed in the future, to make way for a new academy. When this academy is built, several local schools will close down and the students will be transferred to this academy after 2010. The local council is the head of this project and so for my Graphic Products Project, I am designing this future Academy. Now the main sponsors for this project is the Church of England and Canterbury Christ Church University. In the consulation papers, it states that because of the Church of Englands influence, the academy must be built with a "Christian Ethos".

So, I present to you my design for the future academy, that has a christian ethos in it's architecture. Now whats the most common form of christian architecture? it is a church. How is a church built? in a shape of a cross. So I wanted to design the academy building in the shape of a christian cross. But why is this school called the "Holy Light Academy"? that is because of the glass. The entire academy center is surrounded by high ceiling of glass. With this glass, not only does it protect the students from the weather, but it lets the sunlight filter though the glass bathing the students in the warmth of Gods Holy Light. Now onto some short facts about the main academy:

The Academy is 3 storys high, meaning 3 floors high
The classrooms are located in the 6 main buildings excluding the church in the center
The reception and staff offices are located in the building before the church
The church at the far end of the academy and is made completely of glass
The roofs are accessible to all students to observe the surrounding land
The center glass steeple stands at a massive 50 metres high from the ground
The academy main building is roughly 170 metres long and 120 metres wide
The main entrance is the single glass complex at the front of the academy
The church glass roofs at the top plus the staff building resemble the christian cross
There is a garden and fountain and the center of the academy intersection
There is a large clock face on the staff and reception building at the intersection

Notes about the actual Design:

This is ONLY the main academy building, the entire Holy Light Academy site with all the other necessary buildings will be shown later. For my this project I am constructing a detailed model of the main academy building, which is this. I am also making a site plan model, of the entire academy and land. Remember this is only the main academy building where most of the teaching goes on. Also there is not windows or doors shown, because they take too long to make when designing.