Islington Green School
School playground.
The Sorrell Foundation is a private organisation that funds and coordinates creative collaborations between public sectors such as Health and Education with the skills and expertise of UK designers across various disciplines. Specifically the programme seeks to achieve physical improvements within existing schools such as improved communal spaces, signage, storage etc. The pupils are engaged as the main client and develop the brief collaboratively with the designer and teaching staff.
East were commissioned early in 2004 to be involved with two individual school projects being conducted for different schools. Islington Green Secondary School in London involves the creation of a quiet outdoor space to which pupils can retreat, away from the more active ball-court playing areas. A timber area bridges the exit of the hall to the entrance of the canteen, leaving a range of sunken seating areas for smaller groups of students. Planting was developed with Anne MacCaig and concentrated on easy to maintain grasses, bamboos, Acers and climbers, and a bed prepared for a gardening club.
The project was implemented within the summer holidays 2004 with a budget of £30,000.
Client: Sorrell Foundation (joinedupdesignforschools)/Islington Green School