Addition of a new suspended ‘tree-house’ classroom within an early 20th century artists' studio. The original studio built in 1917 for the artist Charles Daniel Ward (1872 – 1935) was later converted into a school. Chelsea Open Air Nursery was founded in 1928 by four parents from the Chelsea area, including Dr. Susan Isaacs, an educational psychologist, and Natalie Davies, the benefactress who provided funding for the school. The Open Air Movement was popularised at the beginning of the 20th century as a method of schooling which encouraged fresh air, exercise and free play as a means for young children to learn, discover and be challenged. The outdoors was recognised as a valuable learning environment.
Friend and Company Architects (friendandcompany.co.uk) new tree house classroom structure continues the ethos of the school in creating a dynamic new environment that connects with the outdoor spaces. A lattice of CNC cut profiled-steel beams, leaf-patterned timber infill panels and glass balustraded openings create shimmering ‘glade’ like effects as the sun shines through the studio roof lights above.
The project was completed in February 2011 and part funded by money from the Primary Capital Programme and through fund raising events organised by the parents and school governors’.
The project was completed in February 2011 and part funded by money from the Primary Capital Programme and through fund raising events organised by the parents and school governors’.
