The project
This is an exciting project for the transformation of an old barn into a children’s nursery which is due to open in September 2015. Our client took full advantage of new permitted development class m rules to turn an empty barn on his farm into a new commercial venture: a children’s nursery with a farm based learning theme. Our brief was to design the whole building from scratch. The client had already gained consent from the local authority so we could focus our efforts entirely on the architectural design work.
How we worked
It was our aim to make good use of as much of the existing structure as possible, keep modifications to a minimum and create quality spaces for the children to play in. Consequently we decided very early on to retain the barn’s existing trusses and maximise the barn’s open spaces to provide a large play area.
Before design work began we did a great deal of research to ensure the nursery met all of Ofsted’s requirements as well as meeting all building regulations. We also spent time visiting other nurseries to speak to the staff to generate ideas about how best to use the space available to us. Our overall aim was to provide an outstanding design.
Project success
It was important to us that whilst we met the practical elements of the brief, we also wanted to make sure the completed project was aesthetically pleasing and attractive to both children and parents. We were always conscious that this was a commercial venture and we wanted to make sure our client’s new business was as eye-catching as we could make it, thus generating significant customer interest and maximising his potential revenue. Since the project the permitted developement rules have changed again adding more scope for devlopement under class Q.
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