Gordon Murray and Alan Dunlop have won the commission to design a school for children with sensory impairment in Dumbreck, Glasgow. The children who will use the school all have severe visual impairment and often hearing, cognitive and mobility problems.

The new school will bring together the existing schools of Kelvin and Carnbooth on a spectacular site in the city's south side. The commission is for Glasgow City Council and will include residential accomodation and teaching space for children from age 4 to 18. " We have proposed three different concepts which can be developed" says gm+ad Project Director Maggie Barlow. "Each works with the extisting site features, so that for instance all trees are kept and accomodation is arranged around a beautiful sensory garden".

"It will be an empathetic environment which will support the children and help the teachers but also a place where the kids can have fun" adds Alan Dunlop "a place which offers security but also independence, and we are very much looking forward to getting started. "Our design team includes Margaret Hickish, an access specialist from Buro Happold and City Design Cooperative, designers of the Hidden Garden in Glasgow".

The architects will start design work right away with the school scheduled to be completed in June 2006. The design work will involve an intense briefing period during which the gm+ad will carry through workshops with parents and heads of both schools to assist in the design and to keep everyone informed of progress. "It will be a busy period" says Maggie Barlow " but for a project we are absolutely committed to and want to make a success"

The chance to create a special school environment is something new for gm+ad, designers of award winning hotel, office and residential projects like Radisson SAS and the super shiney Bacofoil building in the city's financial district. The practice has also recently won a Europa Nostra Award for their work to Glasgow's Central Station but there is no doubt the partners feel this project for Dumbreck is something special. " We have always believed that a good architect can carry though any type of project successfully and with great care " says Gordon Murray " We will work to ensure this new school becomes a real centre of excellence for the care of kids with very special needs and the people who care for them"

The leader of Glasgow City Council, Charlie Gordon is truly delighted that Gordon Murray and Alan Dunlop have been chosen to carry out the design and management work saying " gm+ad are a firm associated with award winning buildings of the very highest standards and quality" He adds " the replacement of Carnbooth and Kelvin schools is a priority for the Council and the new school in Dumbreck will be purpose built to meet all the requirements of the pupils and their families. This is going to be one of the most important projects the Council will be undertaking over the next two years"