Ropemakers Academy is a new SEMH (Social, Emotional, and Mental Health) school for 80 pupils in Hailsham, designed with ECE Architecture & Willmott Dixon.

We have undertaken extensive upfront civil and geotechnical investigation to help us develop a passive and economic strategy for developing the site which has been vulnerable to ongoing slope stability issues.

The landscaping has been augmented to be sympathetic to a stable slope profile and to negate retaining structures where possible. Site-wide land drainage has been designed to remove the primary catalyst of the slope instabilities.

The proposed structure is a split level two/three-storey steel frame onto a piled raft, which is partially cut into the terrain.

Dr Jonty Clark OBE, the CEO of The Beckmead Trust, said:

“In all my years I have never seen a design that takes the needs of the children so seriously, I can clearly see the care and attention that has gone into the design.”

Architect	ECE Architecture
Contractor	Willmott Dixon Construction
Client	East Sussex County Council