Cambusbarron Woodland Nursery
A proposal for a new-build nursery, set in historic woodland
Cambusbarron Woodland Nursery | Cambusbarron
Cambusbarron Village Nursery
The Cambusbarron Village Nursery is currently run from the community centre in the village but spend the majority of their time outdoors in the woodland at the foot of Gillies Hill. They focus on outdoor education and teaching the children to engage with the natural environment. They are looking to establish a permanent facility within the woodland to create a base for their outdoor learning.
A site was chosen next to an historic walled garden and close to an existing access road. The new building is proposed to work with the existing woodland features and terrain. By elevating the building on stilts this allows for minimal impact on the undulating site. Existing trees are maintained where possible with large feature windows and child height slot windows used to capture woodland views.
A sustainable approach is proposed for the building, utilising orientation, natural daylight and timber construction alongside technologies such as mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, solar panels and heat pumps. The use of timber within the building also offers educational benefits, with natural materials offering a calming effect for the children.
The brief for the building was developed with the village nursery and aims to provide space for community use also. The playroom is the key space within the building which links directly onto a raised playdeck which descends to the forest floor. The playroom will offer space for community meetings, activity groups and events outside nursery hours.
