King’s School Canterbury Rausing Science Centre

A historic campus reconfigured for modern learning

Located within the precincts of King’s School Canterbury, the project delivered a new science building, The Rausing Science Centre, alongside wider interventions across a historically significant school estate.

Set within the Canterbury Cathedral grounds, the scheme required the careful integration of contemporary educational facilities into a layered historic setting, balancing new build delivery with conservation-led thinking.

Coniston and partners delivered the project in a live school environment, creating modern, high-performance teaching spaces while protecting the character, fabric and daily operation of the wider campus.

Working within a live, listed educational environment

The project presented a unique combination of constraints typical of both heritage and complex urban build work.

The school remained fully operational throughout, requiring careful coordination around term times, exams and daily movement across the site. Access was restricted, logistics tightly controlled, and works had to be planned around safeguarding requirements and stakeholder sensitivities.

Located within a historically significant setting, the surrounding buildings and context demanded a high level of care, both in physical works and in how the project team engaged with the school, consultants and wider stakeholders.

The scheme also introduced structural and technical complexity, combining new build construction with integration into an existing, constrained campus, alongside sustainability and decarbonisation considerations aligned with modern education standards.

Delivering with heritage-grade care and modern capability

Coniston worked closely with Walters & Cohen and the wider consultant team to plan and deliver the project in phases, aligning the programme with the operational requirements of the school.

The new science building was constructed to meet modern teaching and performance standards, with careful coordination to ensure the new building sat appropriately within its surroundings. Works were sequenced to minimise disruption, with logistics, access and safety managed in line with the live environment.

The project required consistent coordination across disciplines, including structural works, building services and internal fit-out, ensuring that new elements were delivered to a high standard while integrating with the wider estate.

As with other projects in sensitive environments, emphasis was placed on communication and collaboration, enabling issues to be addressed collectively and maintaining progress across the programme.

A new science facility for King’s School Canterbury

The project has provided King’s School with a new science facility, The Rausing Science Centre, that supports modern teaching requirements within its historic setting. Delivered over a four-year period, the scheme demonstrates the integration of contemporary construction within a constrained and operational environment. The completed building forms part of the school’s wider estate, contributing to its long-term development while respecting the character of the surrounding precinct.