Every school should have a retreat like this
Studio Weave for Belvue School
Contract value: £234,000
GIA: 93m²
Cost per m²: £2,516
This project provides 93m2 of extra curriculum space for a school in Northolt, west London for children with severe learning difficulties and other needs. Designed with a warm, domestic quality, it opens up a patch of small scrubland to the children, who mainly live in blocks of flats nearby.
The result is a wonderful, beautifully organised building, with a temple-like quality. A central open, covered space frames the gatehouse to the woods. Either side are two rooms: one cosy with a wood burning stove, the other fitted out as a kitchen and dining area to help students develop independent living skills. The playfulness and ingenuity of this design are apparent at every turn, epitomised by the unique weathervane on the rooftop, twisting in the wind. Every school should have a retreat like this where students can connect with nature and be themselves.
Client of the Year
See other winners in the RIBA Regional Awards – London: Community