Wycombe Abbey School

Project Brief

The school wanted to make its day house offer something genuinely exciting. With many of the existing day houses very similar in design, there was an opportunity to create something that felt different and set a new benchmark.

Daws Hill, a listed former hunting lodge, housed four day houses including Wendover House. The building was stunning, however a maze of corridors, different rooms and styles, made it a challenge feel like home, and to support effective pupil study, socialising and community.

Each house needed clearly defined zones: space for meetings, social areas, games and TV, collaborative working and dedicated personal workspaces for every pupil. It had to feel like a home away from home, and it all needed to be ready for September, delivered carefully within budget.

Purpose

This was about more than improving a building. The day house plays a central role in school life — it’s where pupils spend the majority of their time outside lessons, build friendships and receive pastoral support.

The aim was to create an environment that would help attract and retain pupils, strengthen house identity and positively influence both academic focus and wellbeing. As one of the leading girls’ boarding schools in the country, the space needed to reflect that standard in both feel and function.

Key Outcomes

There is far greater overall usability, spaces are clearly defined rather than multi-use, and the environment feels considered and purposeful. What was once a dark, fragmented hunting lodge is now bright, open and genuinely homely. We restored the past, and embraced the future.