The Learning Tree nursery nurtures through sustainable architecture

The Learning Tree, a Romford nursery by Delve Architects, uses natural materials and sustainable architecture principles to nurture young minds

Ellie Stathaki's avatar
By
last updated
Contributions from
in Features
green and wooden interior of The Learning Tree nursery
(Image credit: Fred Howarth)

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. 

toys and nursery arrangement inside The Learning Tree

(Image credit: Fred Howarth)

‘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.

wood clad nursery interior

(Image credit: Fred Howarth)

toys and bowls in london nursery

(Image credit: Fred Haworth)

timber interior with green round windows

(Image credit: Fred Haworth)

terrace with timber pergola

(Image credit: Fred Haworth)

green feature wall among timber interiors

(Image credit: Fred Haworth)

rounded corners in nursery walls

(Image credit: Fred Howarth)

timber clad interior

(Image credit: Fred Howarth)

toys scattered in nursery interior

(Image credit: Fred Howarth)

little chairs in nursery interior arrangement

(Image credit: Fred Howarth)

The Learning Tree nursery interior

(Image credit: Fred Howarth)

arch in kids bathroom at The Learning Tree nursery

(Image credit: Fred Howarth)

INFORMATION

delvearchitects.com

Ellie Stathaki
Ellie Stathaki

Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).

With contributions from