We are thrilled to announce that our recently opened Learning Hub won a gold award at the prestigious 2024 Scottish Design Awards!
Matt Loader (Loader Monteith), Mandy Shiel (Harmeny’s Head of Education) and Sarah Jane Storrie (SJM Studio Architects)
Designed by Loader Monteith with Studio SJM Architects and built by Thomas Johnstone Ltd, the Learning Hub exists as an ‘embrace,’ creating a safe, uplifting school environment for students who have faced early years trauma and adversity.
The Learning Hub (Photo credit to Jim Stephenson)
This award recognises the thoughtful design that prioritises the well-being of Harmeny’s young people. The charity’s specialist learning facilities, funded through a £3.2million fundraising appeal, opened in October last year.
As Mandy Shiel, Head of Education at Harmeny, explains, “The children and young people in our care have experienced early years trauma due to abuse, neglect and severe family disruption. Previously, we lacked facilities to teach at secondary level beyond age 14, meaning our young students had to leave before they were ready. With our new Hub, Harmeny can now provide engaging learning spaces for students up to age 18. The building blends beautifully within our woodland estate and provides therapeutic spaces, practical workshops, and increased opportunities to learn outdoors. We can already see the positive impact the Hub has had on our students. They are thriving in this nurturing environment and we are excited to see what the future holds for them.”
Jacqui Thomson (Harmeny Project Officer) and Mandy Shiel (Harmeny Head of Education)
The Learning Hub is a testament to the power of design to create positive change. We are proud to have played a role in this special project.
In addition to the gold award for the Learning Hub itself, Harmeny and the project team also received a silver award for Client of the Year. Matt Loader, from Loader Monteith Architects who nominated Harmeny for the award, said “The Learning Hub represents a truly enjoyable and worthwhile collaboration we are proud to be part of.”
Read more about the Learning Hub here.
