rotherhithe primary school - a school in a garden
Rotherhithe Primary School in Southwark has been open now for just over a year, and the children and staff have well and truly bedded in as much as the landscaping and planting. And it is the needs of the children and staff, alongside the natural setting of the school buildings that drive the narrative of this short film.
The new building was part of an ambitious school rebuilding programme by the London Borough of Southwark, replacing a dated ‘temporary’ single story pre-fab from 1971, and the vision for the school was developed in close collaboration with the council, the school staff and children. The result is a building set within extensive landscaping and outdoor learning spaces, and with connectivity to nature from every internal space.
Light brick and timber finishes framing large windows and views in and out provide a calming backdrop but also a feeling of community and cohesion which echoes the ethos of the school.
This is a building that has been designed to nurture and support. It isn’t loud and brash and full of bright colours, but rather the natural landscaping provides learning environments that are safe, vibrant and stimulating. Unexpected intimate areas have been carved out for small group learning, intervention and play and a large foyer area welcomes you in and provides space for informal meetings, learning and play.
It is as much about the community as it is about the design. A beacon for the local area and the families who use it, the two come together to play a valuable role in shaping the lives the children who will pass through it.
With many thanks to the children and staff of Rotherhithe Primary School who helped us make this film.