Schools and Community

Commissions: Schools and Community

Victoria Park Nursery School and Children’s Centre Newbury Redesign

We were commissioned by the Victoria Park Nursery school and West Berkshire Council to redesign the school grounds and to develop a range of learning zones for educational play and exercise. We were worked with Felicity Robinson of Landscapes Naturally to develop the leaning zones concept. We design an interactive play area, a beach zone, a performance area and a growing zone as well replacing the iconic play train at the front entrance. We project managed the work to completion including obtaining planning permission for the playground extension and supervision of a landscape contractor and cost control. We worked closely with the head teacher, the nursery staff and the children to produce an attractive design that is tied together with a circular bound gravel footpath used as a cycle track by the nursery children.
Denham Green Broadway East Enhancement, New Denham, Bucks
(For South Bucks District Council/Denham Parish Council)
 
We were commissioned by South Bucks District Council & Denham Parish Council to design & to project manage the enhancement of the Broadway East shop frontage & parking area for the local community. The scheme features a newly paved shopping parade with three panels of decorative tiles designed by local schoolchildren in association with the artist Gina Martin. The clay tiles feature scenes from the locality such as images of the former Denham Film studios painted by the schoolchildren from Denham Village Infants & Denham Tilehouse Combined School. The scheme also features new parking bays & tree planting. (For further details see Urban Design & Testimonials pages).
Little Marlow Infants School, Little Marlow, Bucks
(For Little Marlow Primary School/Buckinghamshire County Council)
 
We were asked by the governors of Little Marlow school to look at the redesign of the school grounds & to come up with ideas for a play space by the school building & for the wider area to enrich children’s learning experiences & recreational facilities. We produced a colourful design with a hierarchy of soft fall areas & intimate seating along with planting designs to incorporate locally growing plants such as the Chiltern Gentian. A herb garden & mini beast areas are also featured.
Manor Junior School, Cove, Farnborough, Hampshire
(For Manor Junior School/Hampshire County Council)
 
As landscape architects listed on the learning through landscapes database we were commissioned by Manor Junior School to produce a masterplan to show exciting new features for the school grounds. This a large junior school with over 650 students. There is also a special unit for children with hearing impairments. We digitally surveyed the whole site & consulted the pupils & staff using detailed questionnaires to identify pressing issues & features that could be used to improve the grounds. As a result we draw up proposals to enhance the school entrance, to reroute the access road to the infants school, to create a new playground & reception area, to create a performance space, to improve sports facilities & to create a sensory garden featuring kite pergolas & mazes with new tree & shrub planting.
Nimrod Centre Nursery & Community Centre, Gosport, Hampshire
(For Nimrod Centre/Groundwork Solent)
 
The Nimrod community centre is well used by local children's groups. Our team produced the featured proposals for the garden & play areas based on a brief devised by the centre's users & Groundwork Solent.
St Johns Church of England School, Gosport, Hampshire
(For St Johns School/Hampshire County Council/Groundwork Solent)
 
We were asked by the school community to design a shaded seating area & Millennium themed garden. Following participatory workshops with the teachers & schoolchildren we designed a timber canopy under a Whitebeam tree with low benches, murals, specially designed paving & a play boat sited within the Millennium garden.
Old Ford Locks Gateway Dace Road Tower Hamlets, London
(For British Waterways London/Lea Rivers Trust)
 
We were appointed by British Waterways to develop a masterplan to regenerate Old Ford Locks on the Lee & Stort Navigation in the east end of London. We wrote a design brief for local artists to create & deliver a distinctive sculptural gateway to Old Ford Locks. We worked with take pART, an Arts initiative managed by the Lea Rivers Trust, to develop the gateway concept as interpreted by the local artists Jan Rosser & Penny Sadubin. Graphics produced by local schoolchildren were incorporated into the design of the entrance beacons which are illuminated at night.

See Art in the Landscape page for further details.
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