Stroud Nursery, Stroud

The primary goal for the project was to maximise the internal floor area of the nursery to accommodate an increasing demand of nursery places for children aged 0 to 5, whilst providing a providing an inspiring new frontage to the building when viewed from the street.

We worked collaboratively with the end-users and managers of the nursery to develop the design and after several iterations to the scheme, we settled on a solution which would provide most effective use of space and value for the client. The final design combines:

• a pitched roof and a flat roof which accommodates a clerestory to allow natural light and reduce overlooking from the neighbouring residential dwellings

• a physically larger design to accommodate a future increase in child numbers

• an office overlooking the entrance for safety and welcoming parents and children

• a large window that connects the interior and exterior spaces, providing plenty of shaded natural light fo rthe main classroom spaces.

• an increase in greenery and vegetation around the entrance to engage children upon entering the nursery.