Field Study Centre

Status: 1995
Location: Wakehurst Place, West Sussex

Client: Royal Botanic Gardens Kew
Value: £70K

 

We were asked to create a field study centre for up to 36 students and teachers. The site is in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, a site of Special Scientific Interest, and is one of the most important gardens in the UK. To meet sustainability goals, we were asked to use a donation from HM Customs of an illegal shipment of endangered South American timber of varying lengths, size and quality to construct the building.

We minimised the impact on the landscape with the design of a simple, cost-effective shelter – a place where children and adults can connect with nature, blurring the boundaries between inside and out. The structure was positioned on grassland, tucked in among conifer trees and avoiding disturbance to a nearby badger sett.

The consignment of timber was analysed to determine sizes suitable for the building’s structure and cladding, with each length painstakingly accommodated into the design detail. A large opening for sliding glass doors draws the outside in, and forms a light-filled, inspiring space for study. The practical and flexible space was designed for young children, older pupils or adult education students, and includes storage and toilet facilities.

With over 400,000 visitors a year, the 200 hectare Wakehurst Place now has a sustainable, natural and inspiring space for study, helping to meet the Royal Botanic Gardens’ aims to increase knowledge and understanding of the value and vital importance of plants.

 

Credits
Photography: Peter Cook