Studio Weave is one of the four architect firms to win the prestigious timber trophy, as part of the UK’s annual Wood Awards that celebrate the use of wood in architecture and design. The other three winners are Niall McLaughlin Architects, MUMA, and Ian Ritchie Architects.Studio Weave won the trophy for its Woodland Rooms at Belvue School — a secondary school for boys and girls with moderate to severe learning difficulties and a range of other additional needs.The school is located adjacent to under-utilized woodland, which is being managed as an educational nature reserve. Spread over 150 sqm, the two new woodland rooms designed by Studio Weave provide unique facilities, “with a more domestic quality and intimate scale.”“Our approach to this project was about more than just designing a new building for the school, it was about creating a narrative for the woodland that would open up imaginative ways of engaging with this newly acquired natural asset. We identified that the boundary between the playground and woods marks the border between familiar school territory and the magical, mysterious world beyond. At this very important threshold the woodland rooms act as a ‘gatehouse,’ and symbolise the entrance to another world/secret garden,” Studio Weave writes.The classrooms cater to three types of learning spaces. According to Studio Weave, the “Cosy Lounge” is used for teaching and engaging with the woodland and provides a private sensory space to relax and calm down. The “Sociable Kitchen” features a cafe, kitchen, and dining for small groups. The “Messy Barn” allows outdoor learning, irrespective of the weather. “The concave ceiling allowed us to create a lower head height as you enter the space creating an intimate domestic scale that opens up as you move toward the center of the room. The curved soffit also enables light from the clerestory windows to spill across its entire surface, filling the space with natural light. The stack effect created by this form allows for the spaces to be entirely naturally ventilated,” Studio Weave describes.Studio Weave also worked with a forest management specialist to develop a woodland strategy to ensure maintenance and upkeep of the woods.Click on the slideshow for a sneak peek at the project.  https://www.blouinartinfo.com/              Founder: Louise Blouin Read more