Belvue School Woodland Classrooms

Belvue School is a secondary school for students with moderate to severe learning difficulties and a range of other needs. The school sits adjacent to a woodland which they have been given custody over. After successful fundraising, the school approached Studio Weave to design ambitious and distinctive woodland classrooms within a modest budget. Studio Weave worked with the school to design 150sqm of extracurricular spaces, with a domestic quality and intimate scale.

Our approach was to develop a collective narrative with students that would open up imaginative ways of engaging with this natural asset. The boundary between the playground and woods was identified as the border between familiar school territory and the magical, mysterious world beyond, with the new Woodland Classrooms acting as a gatehouse.

‘Cosy Lounge’ is used for workshops and engaging with the woodland, as well as being a calm private sensory space when required. ‘Sociable Kitchen’ includes a café, with food preparation area and group dining. ‘Messy Barn’ allows outdoor learning, whatever the weather. Through encouraging and inspiring students to adopt extra responsibilities and be more autonomous the school nurtures their social, emotional and personal development, leading them towards employment opportunities.

The concave ceiling allowed us to create an intimate scale as you enter the space, which then opens up to clerestory windows as you move towards the centre of the room. The stack effect created by this form also allows for the spaces to be entirely naturally ventilated. Studio Weave also worked with a forest management specialist to develop a biodiversity improvement strategy.