The Academy opened in September 2004, and was designed to accommodate 1,000 pupils aged 11-16 with a special focus on ICT as well as offering learning facilities to the wider community. The triangular site is enclosed by busy railway tracks on two sides but overlooks Hackney Downs to the north. The three-storey building - one of the largest timber frames in the UK - is conceived as a broad V, its back to the railway, focusing on the park. The three storeys are separated by external metal balconies which form covered walkways that run along the perimeter of the playground. The various faculties are accommodated in sections of the building configured as terraced houses with access from a broad covered cloister. There are over 50 classrooms which include sports hall/gym hall with sprung floor, a 200-capacity auditorium, a dining area with capacity for 100, 7 cluster ICT areas on the ground floor plus dance area and 4 music rooms. Cascading stairwells provide external access to the classrooms. The sports hall is clad in bright yellow and the main hall's acoustic panels are bright red. The building contains sustainable timber throughout along with lots of glass, giving the building lots of natural light.