National Film and Television School – Beaconsfield

In the late 1990s, the National Film and Television School (NFTS) sought to improve its facilities in line with its international reputation, and appointed Turnberry to identify a development solution. Following an in-depth analysis and review, it was concluded that the School should embark upon a cost-effective, multi-phase programme to refurbish its facilities at Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire. The NFTS and Turnberry therefore produced a masterplan to guide the phased redevelopment of its facilities and buildings.

Under the masterplan, the campus was restructured to reflect three distinct functions: teaching, production and public access, requiring a new three-storey education building and extensive refurbishment of the existing campus. Phase I of the project saw the construction the education building, with a library, cinema, teaching spaces and café. Phase II involved the creation of a new craft building and lighting/scenery store, while a concurrent programme of refurbishment took place. Finally, improvements to the post-production buildings and the removal of two temporary buildings, which were replaced with a café and restaurant facility, gave rise to better planning for the site as a whole.

The masterplan redevelopment contributed towards better campus legibility and accessibility, along with increased security provisions. This provided the NFTS with the facilities and support required to maintain its reputation of excellence and compete successfully as the national leader in film and television education.

Turnberry was instrumental in putting together the required funding package; guaranteeing the successful administration of the development; advising on the sale of part of the Beaconsfield site for residential development; and ensuring the project was delivered on programme and on budget through its position on the project Steering Board.

In 2014, Turnberry was appointed again by NFTS to provide planning support for the second phase of new teaching facilities on the Beaconsfield site. The proposed scheme will see two new teaching buildings replacing existing facilities that are no longer fit for purpose. The scheme was approved in 2015.