The fragrant smell of timber, a slew of engaging toys and gentle lines and materials, and sustainable architecture principles are key components in the identity of The Learning Tree nursery - a new preschool facility in East London's Romford. The timber-clad architectural interior design is the brainchild of emerging studio Delve Architects.
The young practice, set up in 2017 by school friends Edward Martin and Alex Raher, was called upon to retrofit a former industrial building. This has now been transformed into a warm, welcoming learning space using durable design and natural materials - namely, timber, ply and rubber. Creating the space in just six months and working with specific budget constraints, the architects employed glazed partitions, timber screens, curved forms and bespoke joinery to customise the interior for their client, leading childcare and education company, Storal Learning.
‘The Learning Tree represents everything that we’re passionate about when it comes to design and how that can contribute to the development and education of young children and the wellbeing of their families. The client Storal Learning were brilliant to work with and with them we’ve delivered something special and beautiful for families in the Romford area,' says Delve's director Alex Raher.
In the new Learning Tree nursery space, a central, light-filled open plan communal room, filled with toys and age-appropriate equipment, meets a kitchen, bathrooms, waiting area, office and an outdoor timber covered play area. Playful details, such as porthole windows and vibrant pops of colour, elevate the interior.
Delve Architects and Storal Learning's collaboration was such a success that the client-architect team is now already deep into the development process of one more nursery facility - this time in Banbury, Oxfordshire - which is currently on site.
INFORMATION
-
Sabine Marcelis has revisited her Ikea lamp and it’s a colourful marvelSabine Marcelis’ ‘Varmblixt’ lamp for Ikea returns in a new colourful, high-tech guise
-
Is the Waldorf Astoria New York the ‘greatest of them all’? Here’s our reviewAfter a multi-billion-dollar overhaul, New York’s legendary grand dame is back in business
-
Colleen Allen’s poetic womenswear is made for the modern-day witchAllen is one of New York’s brightest young fashion stars. As part of Wallpaper’s Uprising column, Orla Brennan meets the American designer to talk femininity, witchcraft and the transformative experience of dressing up
-
Fulham FC’s new Riverside Stand by Populous reshapes the match-day experience and beyondPopulous has transformed Fulham FC’s image with a glamorous new stand, part of its mission to create the next generation of entertainment architecture, from London to Rome and Riyadh
-
This modern Clapham house is nestled indulgently in its gardenA Clapham house keeps a low profile in south London, at once merging with its environment and making a bold, modern statement; we revisit a story from the Wallpaper* archives
-
Step inside this perfectly pitched stone cottage in the Scottish HighlandsA stone cottage transformed by award-winning Glasgow-based practice Loader Monteith reimagines an old dwelling near Inverness into a cosy contemporary home
-
This curved brick home by Flawk blends quiet sophistication and playful detailsDistilling developer Flawk’s belief that architecture can be joyful, precise and human, Runda brings a curving, sculptural form to a quiet corner of north London
-
A compact Scottish home is a 'sunny place,' nestled into its thriving orchard settingGrianan (Gaelic for 'sunny place') is a single-storey Scottish home by Cameron Webster Architects set in rural Stirlingshire
-
Porthmadog House mines the rich seam of Wales’ industrial past at the Dwyryd estuaryStröm Architects’ Porthmadog House, a slate and Corten steel seaside retreat in north Wales, reinterprets the area’s mining and ironworking heritage
-
Arbour House is a north London home that lies low but punches highArbour House by Andrei Saltykov is a low-lying Crouch End home with a striking roof structure that sets it apart
-
A former agricultural building is transformed into a minimal rural home by Bindloss DawesZero-carbon design meets adaptive re-use in the Tractor Shed, a stripped-back house in a country village by Somerset architects Bindloss Dawes
