The brief for this project was to design a single-form entry primary school designed to embrace community and neighbourhood use. The project is informed by previous research into urban wildscapes, how they are portrayed in children’s literature as places where characters can be adventurous and independent, and how in reality, many children growing up in urban environments don’t have access to regular contact with nature.

This would be a learning space that is different from a traditional school environment and perhaps provide a new model for school design, one that focuses on nurturing the relationship between children and the natural environment and the co-habitation of humans and non-humans. There, children would be able to learn about other species and their vital roles in maintaining larger ecosystems, and in particular about synanthropes- species of wild animals or plants that live near and benefits from an association with humans - as well as learning practical ways of helping increase biodiversity within the school grounds and further afield.

The site is an existing car park in the borough of Lambeth, adjacent to Archbishop’s Park to the South and the Oasis City Farm to the North. On its edge, a gardening club - the Friends of Archbishop’s Park - will become part of the school grounds. Surrounding the site are London plane and sycamore trees which will be preserved and celebrated.

The school would need to accommodate 210 primary children, plus 26 places in a nursery, in addition to an assembly hall and all ancillary, kitchen and office spaces. The building will also incorporate a community kitchen with an intensive green roof, where pupils have the opportunity to grow food and learn to cook during the weekdays and during the weekends, it becomes a place for the whole community to gather and enjoy meals together.

The buildings are organised on the site and raised up in order to allow the majority of the ground floor to be available for other species. The ground floor includes the nursery/reception building, a generous play and sports area, the school canteen/community kitchen, and administrative and staff areas. The first floor accommodates Key Stage 1 classrooms and a science lab/cabinet of curiosities accessible through a raised up walkway through the trees. Finally, the second floor accommodates Key Stage 2 classrooms.

The buildings are raised up from the ground in order to allow the majority of the ground floor to be available for other species. And organised on the site: nursery/reception building at the back of the site where it is quieter, the main building accommodates key stages 1 and 2 as well as administrative and staff areas. Classrooms are organised in a stepped façade to guarantee plenty of natural daylight and ventilation across all floors. Each classroom includes both indoor and outdoor spaces - so pupils are allowed to be more connected to the outside world and weather and have a safe retreat when needed.

The structure a timber frame constructed using a traditional construction technique called ‘brick nogging’, adapted to modern energy efficiency requirements. This timber framework is then infilled with reclaimed materials that can double up as habitats for various birds and invertebrates species.