A full refurbishment of a former east-end pub in Barking, to completely transform an unused and derelict site. The new nursery is designed to be an exciting addition to the area taking inspiration from the former public house, whilst creating a new contemporary feel for the children. The existing oversized arched windows on the locally listed façade are retained, and thermally improved. Existing arched entrance doors are also kept and refurbished – to keep part of the history of the building. The interior design plays on the idea of the arches and curves, and introduces an exciting curved staircase down to the basement level, where the children will find a soft play area to use, as well as the ancillary staff areas.  

The ground floor features three main teaching areas for the range of children in the nursery, from 6 months to 4 years. Each room has specific design features, tailored to suit the age range and activities suitable for them – including a curved library ‘pod’ room separating the toddlers and pre-school classroom. Sliding doors into the pod allow for this to act a physical and visual link between the two classrooms – alongside a new large circular window at low level for the children to spy on each other. Children can also play on two large walk on glass floorlights, looking down into the basement soft play area.

The babies area is more separate, with in-built joinery to create plenty of storage, nappy changing areas and childrens toilets. A crawl space is designed around a new 3m wide opening in the rear elevation, as a child’s level window seat to help them transition from crawling to walking.

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