Founded in 1828, Merchiston school moved to it’s present site at Colinton in 1930, extending and refurbishing the 18th century Colinton House.
The Pringle Junior school buildings are set within a walled garden just off the entrance road to the senior school. In 2000, Garnett Netherwood were commissioned by Merchiston to design the Pringle centre, a dedicated teaching facility for younger boys aged 8 – 10 years.
The site proposed for the new centre was away from the existing 19th and early 20th century buildings and set amongst mature trees in a parkland setting. This freed the design from having to imitate the existing buildings in either form or elevational treatment.
The single storey building was planned with a central spine circulation route with classrooms either side. Clerestorey windows above the spine provide daylight and natural ventilation for the classrooms.
The elevations are kept simple and use local materials and crafts. The lower parts are predominantly harling with natural ashlar stone to the window surrounds and building plinth. The upper areas are horizontally clad with unfinished cedar boards, which in time will weather to a neutral grey. The monopitch roofs either side of the spine are clad in natural copper.