A VISION for a new Hawick High School which incorporates the town’s textile heritage is to change the fabric of the area.

A planning application has been submitted to Scottish Borders Council (SBC) seeking approval for the phased demolition of existing school buildings in Buccleuch Road.

A report with the application outlines the major redevelopment of the school, which would also involve erection of a new educational building, and the reconfiguration of car parking, playgrounds, soft landscaping and footpaths.

Images of how the new campus will look, designed by Stallan-Brand on behalf of SBC, have also been released.

Sweeping changes to the site will see the unlisted school buildings demolished.

They are to be replaced by a large entrance plaza leading to a new campus pushed to the western edge, incorporating salvaged elements of the old school.

The new campus rises from its surroundings on a masonry plinth, elevating sensitive facilities above ground to minimise flood risk.

These areas will be faced in lighter stone cladding spanning all four elevations, broken by glazed accent features highlighting interior activity.

Embodying a ‘woven plan’ that draws inspiration from Hawick’s textile heritage, this elongated new school will deliver a sequence of interconnected spaces arranged on a simple grid, with long elevations presented to playing fields and gardens to preserve wide views of the River Teviot.

In a submitted concept statement, the architects say: “We envision the new Hawick High School plan as a ‘woven plan’ — a series of interconnected spaces arranged in a regular pattern to allow for new and dynamic spatial relationships, as well as intuitive and stimulating circulation areas that connect the entire campus.

“The use of a grid as the plan’s foundation allows for a push-pull of programmatic elements, allowing courtyards to be created to drive light deep into the building plan while also facilitating sheltered external play and learning spaces.”