| Project Name: Chelsea Open Air Nursery School | ||||||||||||
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| Description: Chelsea Open Air Nursery is a landmark nursery school housed in historic cluster of buildings just off Londons Kings Road. The nursery was in need of modernisation and wanted to make better use of the available space and create a new classroom. After consultation with staff, users and the local authority, Friend and Company came up with a scheme that brings light and space to the interior and gives architectural expression to the nursery's philosophy of play in the open air. Close collaboration with the Head Teacher, Kathryn Solly, continued throughout the design process. Numerous options were developed and costed prior to presentations to the Board of Governors and the Local Authority. Phase 1 consists of a new green classroom that sits beneath the canopy of a 1930s extension. Built from an elegant steel box, the classroom appears as a separate element to the existing brick building completed in 2006. A storage wall of different sized doors was added to provide easy access to equipment. A previously dark corridor was transformed into a light-filled interior landscape of ramps to connect different areas of the nursery with the garden. Phase 2 completed in 2010, provides a Treehouse Classroom and a learning link (a bridge to connect the new space to an existing lift). Phase 3 includes further enhancements the result of an Access Report and a Climate Audit, both of which secured further funding. Head teacher Kathryn Solly MA says about working with Friend and Company Architects: Adrian Friend and his company have worked in close partnership with Chelsea Open Air Nursery School and Children’s Centre for the last seven years. This partnership has included consultation with all parties including children, staff, families and governors, design and project management of the internal re development of our unique building which dates from 1587. It also has parts which date from the 18th century and the 1940’s. Their work has also developed areas of the building to create our children’s centre. All these works have been in challenging and cramped spaces. Adrian and his team understand children and schools. They recognise the need for the environment to be a ‘teacher’ and hence create living spaces which are creative and yet environmentally friendly too. They are cheerful, positive people who go the extra mile in order to make a real difference. I thoroughly recommend them. | ||||||||||||
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