Completed in 2006 the pioneering Darlington Education Village brings together primary, secondary and special needs schools on to a single learning campus with state-of-the-art facilities. The challenge for Kajima was to build the first integrated and inclusive school in the UK.

Catering for more than 1,400 pupils aged 2 to 19, Darlington Education Village, promotes a collective sense of community whilst also providing more tailored learning spaces. The school is laid out as a series of buildings linked by glazed internal streets and overlooking a village green with communal dining areas arranged as street cafes to encourage social interaction.

The result is a premier school that was awarded for its exceptional design at the 2007 Public Private Finance Awards and has been much studied by others as a unique approach to inclusive education.

• Public Private Finance Award 2007: Operational Project with Best Design
• Civic Trust Award 2007: Shortlisted