This month, Stride Treglown was invited to the opening of the new sensory garden at Woodlands Academy, near Whitchurch in Bristol.
The initiative of creating a garden was born after the school considered an unloved piece of neighbouring land. The project aimed to take this derelict space and turn it into a safe, quiet place for children and families to learn and play.
As part of the garden project, the school dreamed up a semi-sheltered space which children could use to escape the everyday noise of the playground. Rob Delius (Head of Sustainable Design), Ben Kirkby (Assistant Landscape Architect) and Roxanne Townsend (Architectural Assistant) combined their skills to design a garden pavilion in the form of a ‘tree trunk and branch’.
Over the summer, our team took time away from the office to construct their design. The weaving of the willow structure took two days to complete. Our volunteers even made a wire bird sculpture to nestle within the pavilion.
Less than a year after work began, the garden is now complete and features an outdoor classroom, raised allotment beds, as well as wind chimes, herb plants and a bog garden to attract wildlife.
Many companies and individuals contributed towards the construction of the garden which has been granted funding for further sensory installations.
Well done to Rob, Ben, Roxanne and everybody involved in this fantastic project.
Charitable partners included: Darran Mclane, Big Lottery Fund, OVO Energy, University of the West of England, Artist Robert Martin and B&Q.