“A Village in the City”
My Thesis project, based around an existing primary school in East London (Hallsville Primary School), is designed alongside the idea of the school as a village. Simple yet effective individual timber structures surround a courtyard, defining a new entrance to the school. Constructed from readily-available timber, polycarbonate, blockwork and metal sheeting, the buildings allow for self-construction which involve members of the community, strengthening the local community bonds. The proposed foyer building, inspired by the congregative nature of a traditional village church, provides a formal reception and sits alongside a flexible open space which can be enclosed by waterproof curtains. Meanwhile, a new kitchen classroom provides the school children with hands-on activity which reflects a traditional reliance on the land for food (which is grown within the proposed neighbouring greenhouse, overlooked by the kitchen). Green space is maximised across the site, providing natural areas for wildlife to thrive and children to learn from and enjoy. Hallsville Primary School would then have a rural character, presenting a rare experience of the village-type within the dense city of London.
“A Village in the City”