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Abraham Darby Academy, designed by international architectural practice BDP, has opened in Telford, Shropshire.

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Developed by UK-based Kier Construction, the new academy offers space for 1,030 students and consist of a primary school and a community leisure centre. The academy has been set on a sloping site at the gateway to the Ironbridge World Heritage Site.

The design of the new academy is punctuated by a series of linked pavilions that flow down the hill. The high level plateau accommodates a primary school with its own entrance and south facing garden. The academy includes a formal collegiate block, with performing arts at the heart of the school.

The school has a four-square traditional form that reflects the Haberdashers’ ethos. One side of the facility has a leisure centre, which is yet to be linked to it. The leisure centre is a glazed building, which allows users to enjoy the outside views. The centre accommodates a fitness suite, studios, a sports hall and a 25m swimming pool with moveable depth floor.

The project also embraces a host of sustainable elements and complies with highest environmental standards. The green profiles of the development includes on-site CHP generation and an anaerobic digester for organic waste. The scheme is BREEAM Excellent rated. The building's carbon footprints are 64% below the required standards for Part L2.

Construction of the Abraham Darby Academy was financed by the Haberdashers’ Livery Company.