Wakefield Nursery

The expansion of Wakefield Girls High School was the winning design of a two-stage RIBA competition out of 140 entries.

The new nursery opened up the area around the party wall to form a series of interlinked spaces, each with the potential for separate activities, while creating an easily supervised open-plan layout. These play areas can also spill out into the central core to utilise the whole space.

Openings have been cut through the structure to give the children views through the spaces and plywood canopies have been introduced to lower the perceived height of the ceilings. Bright colours and patterns using tactile materials such as cork, rubber and timber unify the whole design. Timber ramps, decking and York stone paving found on the site have been used to define external areas and maintain the local character.