CASE STUDY


Hidden Green Valley by Duncan Copley


An ‘inside- out’ environment designed to inspire our children and nurture in them a wish to learn from and care for their world and its precious future.


This outdoor space is phase 2 of an extensive school refurbishment. It follows phase 1, an earlier project known as ‘A Pathway to Learning’. The main feature of this first project was to introduce the visitor to Leven Valley C. E. Primary School via a woodland path, through a sheep fold ( a gathering space) following fence, gates and stile to be welcomed at the entrance by a carved wooden reception desk echoing smooth water worn rocks.


Hidden Green Valley ( phase 2) has created an outdoor learning space set within the central Quad, the architectural heart of the school. A living green roof frames the space with a highly bio- diverse planting scheme. It has an amazing visual impact with mossy tree stumps, sunflowers, gorse, bilberry, ox eye daisy and thyme. Butterflies, birds and bees love it too. A crooked bridge, copper lamp post and old stone water trough, stepping stones, sand and board walk, water spouts, rusty chain, tipi tent and earth den all play their part in a garden space that is rich in extended play and storytelling potential. A twisted tree of paper thin bark provides the central upright. Staff and children love it; a little hidden gem.


|156| ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE


Head teacher, Ian Nicol had already established his school as an eco school for recycling, gaining a gold award, and this project gave him the opportunity to take this aspect of school a step further. “By understanding and harnessing the principles of a green, sustainable development of our existing building we have created a living model environment and also demonstrated how our educational buildings themselves can play a vital part in getting the sustainability message across.”


From the initial concept and successful funding bid the project took an organic form, developing a common language between Artist/ Designer, Builder and Educationalist. A difficult and challenging path for all.


Work began during Autumn/ Winter 2009 whilst Cumbria’s great floods raged past, followed by the highest snow falls


for a decade. Roads were closed, bridges knocked out, impacting on communities county wide. Are these Global changes that we will have to come to accept, or a freak once in a lifetime occurance? During this difficult time builders, teachers, children and parents looked on, asking those questions. Bit by bit, Hidden Green Valley emerged in the late Spring of 2010, with fresh planting of a new living roof over the school and a new approach! A wet

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