Heather Stimpson Nest

NEST

A creative educational facility for children living in the Park Royal industrial estate, London.

Graduation booklet. Heather Stimpson. Academie van Bouwkunst July 2025

In London’s fading workshops, hammers fall silent: what remains is the echo of hands that once shaped steel, clay, timber. The makers now ghosts in a city overgrowing with glass towers.

“Architecture and architectural freedom are above all a social issue that must be seen from inside a social structure, not from outside it.”

-Lina Bo Bardi

Listen.Make.Design.Create

PREFACE

Creativity has been the innate driver which sparked my interest and engagement with education from childhood through to adulthood. Growing up in a working class background, access to higher education sometimes felt out of reach; yet, it was through creative expression and encouragement that I found my path into academia.

Children are deeply shaped by their environment. What they observe, experience, and are exposed to informs their sense of identity, possibility, and future. There is a strong and well-documented correlation between socioeconomic background and educational achievement: children from under-represented or disadvantaged communities consistently face barriers to academic success and remain significantly under-represented in higher education. This is not simply a matter of ability, but of access, visibility, and structural inequality.

I consider myself fortunate. Through encouragement toward subjects that sparked my interest, I was able to uncover potential that may otherwise have gone unnoticed. It was through creative education that I found purpose, confidence, and direction—ultimately leading me to study architecture at the postgraduate level. I am aware that this path is not easily accessible for all, and that countless young people with similar abilities are never afforded the same opportunity.

The UK’s education system remains largely shaped by a framework developed during the Industrial Revolution- a system designed to instil discipline, routine, and obedience in preparation for life in factories and offices. It prioritises standardisation, punctuality, and convergent thinking. Although we have evolved dramatically, these core educational structures have persisted: classrooms with one teacher to thirty pupils, rigid timetables, and a curriculum that favours measurable outputs over exploratory process.

However, we are no longer in the age of the Industrial Revolution. We are now entering an age of automation and artificial intelligence. A new technological revolution is underway, fundamentally changing the nature of work and human contribution to society. Repetitive, rule-based tasks are increasingly being replaced by autonomous systems, meaning that the jobs our education system was originally designed to prepare children for are rapidly disappearing.

In this new era, success will depend less on rote memorisation and routine task execution, and more on adaptability, critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and creative problem solving.

Our education system must respond to this shift. It is no longer enough to prepare children to fit into systems that are becoming obsolete. Instead, we must empower them to imagine and create futures that do not yet exist. Creative education is not a luxury or a niche, it is a necessity.

My personal educational journey reflects this reality. I was most engaged and successful in subjects that fostered imagination, storytelling, and making- Art, History, English, and Design Technology. These disciplines activated curiosity and offered space for divergent thinking: the ability to explore multiple outcomes, to connect seemingly unrelated ideas, and to reshape meaning. This kind of thinking is precisely what the future human role demands.

From experience, I have also seen how disengagement in school, often misread as misbehaviour, is frequently rooted in a lack of connection or interest. When children are exposed to subjects that align with their passions, their relationship with learning transforms. Attendance improves, participation increases, and long-term aspirations begin to emerge. Engagement, I’ve come to believe, is not something children either have or lack-it is something that can be cultivated. Often the difference between children succeeding or not is access to inspiration.

As I now approach the completion of my Master’s degree in Architecture, I feel a deep responsibility to explore how design can support this educational transformation. The project becomes a proposition of a creative learning centre, situated in Park Royal, one of London’s last active industrial zones and a growing hub of artists, craftspeople, and makers. Here, within a landscape of production and reinvention, I imagine a space that nurtures curiosity, fosters creativity, and provides children, particularly those from working class backgrounds, with the tools to navigate and shape a world increasingly defined by technological change.

THE CURRENT UK EDUCATION SYSTEM IS PRESERVING INEQUALITY.

CONNECTING THE DOTS

Gentrification:

When a place becomes so unaffordable that local residents can no longer sustain life there, effectively being driven out by young professionals. Young professionals: Usually middle class people in their 20s -30s with a university or higher level qualification, working in a white collar job.

White collar job: Typically requires a high level of education or formal training. A stark contrast to blue collar jobs.

Automation:

When a job role is partly or entirely carried out using robotics or AI. Often this replaces the need of the human in such a job role. Causing significant job loss across various industries.

Blue collar job: Usually a hands on job that requires physical performance of manual labour. Sometimes repetitive tasks which use automation.

LEARNING OBJECTIVE:

To equip children of today, with supportive structures in creative education, to tackle the workforce shifts predicted for the next generation.

Child gains advantageous access to educational support

Provides the likelihood to exceed expectations

Unlocks better opportunities

Opportunity cycle

Succeeds in escaping poverty cycle

Fails to escape the poverty cycle

Poverty cycle

Child grows up in poverty

Family grows in poverty Is significantly disadvantaged in education and skills

Becomes positively contributing member of community. Perhaps raises a family of their own one day.

Struggles to get a job

A Key point is identified in a cycle of poverty, where a child can gain access to educational support that ultimately may change the course of their own life cycle.

01 02 03 04 05 06

INTRO

EDUCATION in LIFE CYCLES

THE SITE HISTORY FUTURE TIMELINE

THE PEOPLE

DEMOGRAPHIC. MAKERS, CHILDREN.

ADJUSTING TO CHANGE (ADDING VALUE, KEEPING CORE VALUES) FOCUS ON EDUCATION (INFLUENCING YOUNG PEOPLE POSITIVELY)

WORKSHOP OLD OAK FINDINGS

SPATIAL TRANSLATION. FUNDING

THE INTERVENTION

PLOT

PROGRAMMING THE PLOT (ZONING DIAGRAMS) TIMETABLE ENGAGING EDUCATION

THE BUILD

INDUSTRIAL CONSERVATION

AVAILABLE SKILLS

AVAILABLE MATERIALS

SEQUENCE OF MAKING

SHOWCASE OF MATERIAL POTENTIAL

THE NEST

The In-between

Education in life cycles.

Education plays a crucial role in shaping life opportunities.

Higher levels of education not only increase the likelihood of better wages but are also associated With improved health, greater financial stability, and overall well-being.

1 in 7 children 2025 1 in 4 children

National

Free school meal eligibility

UNEVEN success

SO... HOW IS THE CURRENT UK

EDUCATION SYSTEM

PRESERVING INEQUALITY?

Through history Through teaching styes

Through social division

Through example

Traditional school systems are structured around information-based learning- A method that prioritizes the retention and recall of factual knowledge. This approach is based on:

Standardised Testing & Assessments – Schools rely on exams and written tests to measure student progress, which reinforces a focus on memorisation and information processing.

Efficiency & Structure – Information-based learning allows for large-scale education, where students can be taught the same material in a uniform way.

Historical Precedent - The modern school system was designed during the Industrial Revolution to prepare workers for factory jobs, emphasizing discipline, repetition, and fact-based knowledge.

Teacher-Led Learning - Traditional education relies on direct instruction, where teachers present information for students to absorb, rather than interactive or experience-based learning.

Academic Prioritisation – Schools prioritise subjects like math, science, and literacy over creative or sensory-based learning, often due to the expectation that these subjects lead to more stable careers.

8 learning types

Audio Visual

Hands on Social Natural

Logical Word

Solitary

Musician

Sound engineer

Therapist

Guidance counsellor

Lawyer

Graphic design

Animator

Architect

Data scientist

Interior decorator

Construction

Welder

Car mechanic

Electrician

Plumber

Copywriter

Journalist

Radio host

TV announcer

Librarian

Politician

Conservationist

Zoologist

Landscape designer

Biologist

Marine biologist

Scientist

Engineering

Bookkeeper

Statistician

Systems analyst

Sales

Teacher

Fitness trainers

Community outreach

PR manager

Nursing

Web designer

Data entry

Technical writer

Software developer

Research scientist

Least taught schoolsin

Most taughtschoolsin

Through example

BUILDSEMOTIONAL

CONNECTIONS

Diamond, A., & Lee, K. (2011). Interventions shown to aid executive function development in children 4 to 12 years old. Science, 333(6045), 959-964.

This study highlights how creative activities, especially in arts and play, foster critical thinking, problem-solving, and cognitive flexibility.

SECCA S T O CREATIVITYINCHILDREN

Malchiodi, C. A. (2014). Creative arts and play therapy for attachment problems. Guilford Publications.

Research in art therapy shows that creative expression helps children process emotions, especially trauma, fostering emotional resilience.

National Endowment for the Arts. (2012). The Arts and Achievement in At-Risk Youth: Findings from Four Longitudinal Studies. This report found that children engaged in arts education display improved social interactions, empathy, and collaboration skills.

Brookings Institution (2019). The role of arts education in preparing students for the future of work. Brookings research indicates that children involved in arts are more likely to graduate and pursue higher education, improving economic mobility.

1st Independent life Home

2nd Structured learning School

1st 2nd

The placethird

fosters connection...

The Third Place Theory, conceptualized by urban sociologist Ray Oldenburg, highlights the critical role of informal gathering spaces in fostering social interaction and strengthening community ties. These “third places,” situated outside the realms of home and (adult) work, are vital for cultivating a sense of belonging and enhancing the overall quality of life.

By providing neutral, accessible environments for people to connect, they serve as the social backbone of neighbourhoods, offering more than just a venue for casual conversation—they support cultural exchange, economic vitality, and community resilience.

A lack of third places encourage people to focus on the first or second place, adopting an increasing individualistic mindset and retracting from community and social interaction.

3rd

For children in developmental years it can be argued it is detrimental to their development to not socialise with children of a similar age at different stages. It is vital for them to associate and feel emotional connections, play and be imaginative in a way that many adults are not.

In most towns and cities, third places are often either paid spaces, like cafés and pubs, or outdoor spaces, like parks and playgrounds. While these places are valuable, they come with limitations. Cafés and indoor centres, usually expect visitors to buy something to stay, and outdoor spaces are mostly free but attendance is at the mercy of the (notably poor, English) weather.

To use an indoor third place, children of primary and junior ages would rely on a parent attending these spaces to pay for them and sit with them. Children of a secondary school age (11+) would rely on perhaps some pocket money to attend a third place, and may not be confident enough to be outside alone. Adolescent and teenagers are too young to work and earn their own money, and are therefore directed towards free outdoor space, but these spaces are the most vulnerable to negative peer influence.

1st 2nd 3rd

The placethirdimproves social equality...

The same is true for play. Exciting places to play, like soft play centres, trampoline parks, and climbing gyms, are nearly always paid spaces. Free options tend to be outdoors, which isn’t ideal, especially in colder months. Furthermore, free public spaces often lack supervision, which can make them unsafe, especially for women and young people. Without monitoring or a sense of shared responsibility, these spaces become uncomfortable and unwelcoming.

A third place should improve social equality.

The ideal solution

An ideal third place for children, would be indoor, designed for play, creativity, and social interaction—a space where people of their own age groups can come together without the expectation of spending money or the concern of adverse weather conditions and safety.

In addition to fostering social connections, such a space would have a profound impact on education. By encouraging informal learning through exploration, experimentation, and collaboration, it would nurture curiosity and creativity outside traditional academic settings. It could also help bridge educational inequalities by providing access to resources such as books, technology, and creative materials that may not be available to all children at home.

Furthermore, a monitored third place would support social and emotional development, helping young people build essential communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. For many, it could serve as a safe and structured environment after school, offering an alternative to being home alone or spending time in unmonitored public spaces. Additionally, by bringing together people of different ages and backgrounds, it could encourage intergenerational learning, where knowledge and experiences are shared between younger and older generations.

Free & accessible

Safe & monitored

Sheltered from weather

Encourages play & activity

By combining accessibility, safety, and opportunities for both structured and informal learning, a free, indoor third place could become an invaluable community resource—enhancing education, creativity, and social well-being for all.

IDEA:

TO CREATE SAFE AND CREATIVE THIRDPLACES IN NEIGHBOURHOODS WITH LESS ACCESS TO EDUCATIONAL TOOLS

Starting with example A)

Location

Rise and fall

- A dramatic rise in employment during the 19th and early 20th centuries due to industrial expansion.

- A peak around 1950, followed by decline due to de-industrialization in the late 20th century.

- A modest rebound due to creative and light industry by 2025.

- A projected drop by 2050 due to increased automation and robotics in manufacturing and logistics.

Park Royal, once a thriving hub of industry during the height of the Industrial Revolution, experienced a boom in employment as factories, warehouses, and transport depots spread across the area. Its strategic location in West London made it a magnet for manufacturing and logistics, offering thousands of jobs to working-class communities. However, as industrial activity began to decline in the late 20th century—due to global shifts in production, de-industrialisation, and economic downturns—the area saw a significant drop in employment opportunities. More recently, a new wave of change has arrived with the rise of automation and advanced technologies. While this has led to some regeneration and investment, many of the remaining manual or semi-skilled jobs are being replaced by machines and AI systems, leading to further job displacement. This shift marks a new phase in Park Royal’s evolution—where innovation and efficiency grow, but traditional employment faces ongoing erosion.

Ealing, London

Park Royal History

People

Place

Employee Qualifications

avg. = 71% North UK avg.= 41%

Park Royal’s workforce starts from a weaker skills base than both London and the nation. Only 31.1 % of working age residents hold a Level 4+ qualification and 21 % have no formal qualifications, compared with 37.7 % and 17.6 % across Greater London and against a 2021 England-and-Wales average of 42 % educated to Level 4+.

Several structural forces drive this gap. First, the estate was purpose built for processing, warehousing and light manufacturing, over a third of its land is still zoned for industry and some 52 000 jobs remain concentrated in routine sectors that rarely demand higher degrees

Second, the resident community is younger and highly mobile, with a large share of recent migrants whose overseas certificates are logged as “other” or unrecognised (14.4 % versus 10 % London) and whose uder30 cohort is five percentage points larger than London’s average

School-age attainment already lags the capital, Key Stage 2 and GCSE results sit 2–3 percentage points below London norms, so the local pipeline feeds the cycle

Why does this matter? Places with under skilled labour forces find it harder to attract high productivity firms, wages stay low, and routine industrial roles are the first to be automated. Centre for Cities shows weaker economies face more low skill job competition and poorer pay than ever before, while the Learning & Work Institute warns that the UK’s emerging “skills chasm” will widen regional inequalities unless areas like Park Royal add millions of higher-level qualifications

In short, low qualification standards don’t just reflect deprivation, they perpetuate it, limiting residents’ earning power and threatening the long term success of the district’s regeneration plans.

Strategic Industrial land

Building typologies

03.PEOPLE

Children’s workshop

In order to get a real understanding of the needs of the local residents, I decided to conduct workshops based on community design. The children were introduced to what architecture is in its simplest form, and gave valid and moving insight to how they would improve their surroundings if it were up to them. Some very magnative, some very matter of fac.

With thanks to Robert Wong of IDEA Design hub, (far left) I was able to join forces with their team and conduct my own workshops with the children.

Robert had experience in co-design within communities, and has a passion for helping children to realise their creative potential. The focus of IDEA, Robert’s creative children’s clubs, is to make art and design accessible and affordable. Many clubs provided by schools are sports based, and often if a club in the arts is not as affordable.

I saw an alliance with Robert in the way we conversed on this topic, and was inspired to embark on a recipricale journey together. I am grateful his word allowed me access to conduct such workshops that I required for site research.

Community values Workshop 1

Goal:

Establish community values

Task:

Card game, choose the surroundings you want in your community

Outcomes:

Safe and child friendly surrounding urban strategy

Urban strategy

Existing urban situation

Each building has access to a road via the horizontal streets, therfore the removal of the vertical streets could act as a strategy to make he area safer for use of children and pedestrians.

Proposal: Using the feedback of the commhnity design workshop, the cycle paths, play streets and pocket parks are added to the existing urban plan.

+ Cycle paths

+ Play Streets

+ Pocket Parks

Urban strategy

+ Pocket Parks

+ Play Streets

+ Cycle paths

Urban model 1:1000

Play streets blend in to community pocket parks

3D Fun factory Workshop 2

Goal:

Discover places of happiness and safety

Task:

1.Pick a piece of paper with a net of your chosen shape.

2.Draw you’re happy places on each face of the shape

3. Once all rooms are drawn cut out shape and fold to make 3D shape

Outcomes:

Creative learning building program defined

Spatial Themes and Patterns

Geometry and scale Workshop 3

Goal:

Find connection with scale

Task:

Draw a building which looks welcoming

Outcomes:

Building geometry is approachable to children

Friends and family

Upon asking, each child knew exactly who they had placed in their drawings. Psychologically this is who they associate with the most, and would prefer to be around. Almost every example had friends and family in their drawings.

“ Me and my friend Katie” “ Me and my mum and my brother”

“ My grandma who is in a wheelchair can’t always get where we wanna go”

“ Me and my mum and my sisters”

Pitched roof

With a pitched roof comes the association of “home”, which is funny because none of the children actually live in a house that looks like this, as many people also do not now.

The association comes from a time when many people did. It passed down from story books, TV shows, and even current iphones.

Never the less, children were not asked to draw their house, but a place where they would feel welcome, and many are directed towards a pitched roof for the feeling they associate with it.

Circular openings Bridges

-Cognitively It is easier to draw a circle. There is one fluid motion instead of 4 singular motions to make a square or rectangle.

- Psychologically many exciting vessels children see n their world contain circular windows. It seems it could have became a symbol or marker for a fun vessel.

-When a child draws they use creative freedom over accuracy, Perhaps drawing a circle feels and looks more interesting to them than an angular one.

Inventively Some children drew bridges as a way to connect their place, to their friends place. This stood out to me as a creative and non con-formative solution to socially engage whilst using architecture as the means.

Findings > zones

Spatial relationship

Workshop Garden Theatre

The workshops delivered key information on creative learning that the children enjoy. This directly informed the program with creative and experimental areas such as the theatre and workshop. Indirectly, an overall theme of play informed an interactive in between space which glues the program together

04.INTERVENTION Design

Nest concept

1. Community value

The number one priority of the project is that it must act as a place of social engagement, primarily for children who would benefit greatly from an extra emphasis in creative education.

2. Local identity

The local character does not need to be compromised, it should not appear as an intimidating or inaccessible building.

3. Feasibility

As a way of avoiding excess financial stress to the project, an existing host building is used. A retro fitted interior is erected from a designed kit of parts.

4. Sustainability

There are infinite reasons to be sustainable. This area has many local materials being produced and sold close by, with many talented creatives and makers who could successfully build the project.

In between space

An overall discoery of play inspired an intermitent space which , like children, acts as the social glue which bonds the activity together. Using sand as a floor material in a children’s space evokes a sensory richness, inviting barefoot exploration and imaginative play. Its soft, shifting texture encourages touch, movement, and creativity. A simple but everchanging surface that fosters curiosity.

Zones

Pushing each zone towards a facade allows daylight to enter. This creates a play corridor in between. daylight

Workshop

Theatre Library

Each zone caters to different creative learning types

8 learning types In fact there are

Paid indoor space

3rd

Lack of free, safe, indoor spaces Free outdoor space The gap

Costs money Sheltered Safe Free Weather dependant Not always safe

The inbetween x x x

Zones

Creating more interesting and unexpected spatial geometry leads to spikes in how information is retained.

Expected reality Not expected

Straight lines are a reminder of cites and grids

Curved lines are a reminder of nature and calmness.

The in-between

Sand represents the freedom of the outdoors. Out of context its a surprise. Open, unbounded, and textured with playfulness. It evokes an immediate, instinctive response.

The tactile nature of this floor choice vs the usually dormant floor material invites children to sit and touch it whilst being together. The play that sand invites is much more open ended than a toy with one type of use. It encourages physical activity such as digging burrowing, which are also indivual responses, encouraging a sense of self control. Instead of being told what to do they can decide for themselves, the sand is a gentle nod to the purpose of the building in its entirety, to gently encourage creative play.

The in-between space acts as an un-programmed connecting space, an indoor street, where children can socialise and be safe. They are also invited by being here, to become interested classes taking place inside the zones.

1:200 concept model

In between space.

Existing situation

1:200 existing structure model

Proposal

Keeping existing facade openings, and existing brick. Addition of new windows, reclaimed where possible.

Use of existing steel structure and roof .

Addition of playful Nest crown and circular openings. Inspired by the circular windows in the children’s workshops and the ‘crowns’ present in surrounding builidngs

Shining crown

The building takes on the shape of a new crown, whilst keeping the traditional brick base. This way it fits in with the context but also shows that something different is happening in here, it signifies a welcome.

Zollinger construction

Facade study models

Mortise and tenon joint

Inspiration: Bath Bespoke- Winsley workshop

The making of

Sequence of making

Sequence of making

BY CREATIVES FOR FUTURE CREATIVES

3. Build on site with available skill force

Makers guide to nest building

4 x 150mm x 3000mm

Connector houtkernmethod ABT

Makers guide to nest building

chipboard

800mm x 1200mm

size laser bed appropriate

Makers guide to nest building

Reclaimed timber floor

Repeated in grid

Supported by columns

Mini makers guide to nest building

1200mm x 800mm Den laser sheets + Palettes

800mm x 1200mm palettes , combined with chipboard and other scrap materials to create dens in the garden.

A 40 year projection Funding

1. Public Sector & Government Grants

Mayor of London’s Good Growth Fund – Supports community-led regeneration projects. Leveling Up Fund (UK Government) – Funds cultural and educational infrastructure.

Arts Council England – Supports creative and cultural education initiatives.

National Lottery Community Fund – Provides grants for social and educational projects.

Education & Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) – If linked to formal education programs.

2. Local Authority & Borough Support

Brent, Ealing & Hammersmith Councils – Park Royal sits across multiple boroughs, which may support local initiatives.

Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) – Developers in Park Royal pay fees that can fund educational and community projects.

Section 106 Agreements – Local developments may be required to contribute funding for community spaces.

3. Private & Corporate Sponsorships

Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC) – Oversees regeneration of Park Royal and could support education-focused projects.

Large Corporations in Park Royal – Companies (e.g., food production, logistics, creative industries) may sponsor workshops or training.

Tech & Creative Industry Partners – Companies like Google, Amazon, or BBC could fund digital and creative learning programs.

4. Charitable & Philanthropic Funding

Paul Hamlyn Foundation – Funds creative learning projects for young people.

Welcome Trust – Supports education projects with a science and innovation focus. Children in Need & Comic Relief – Fund youth and education programs.

Esmee Fairbairn Foundation – Supports arts, education, and social change projects.

The above methods would be accessible funding for the build of the project. Once the building is up and running the aim would be to become fully sufficient through hiring of individual outlets, desks, work spaces, music rooms, kitchen, garden areas for functions. By adult paying members during the day the building could be free to use for children during after school evenings and weekends.

06.THE NEST Education engaged

Material showcasedetails

REUSE

Existing Steel Roof structure

Mesh Balustrade NEW

Timber columns pieced together with steel connectors

Timber planks used to create walkway

Steel connector system, designed by AB, Houtkern method, NL.

150 x 150mm lumber from Park Royal timber yards (locally soucred from Southern UK forestries in Surrey, Kent and Hampshire).

Detail drawing showing the combination of various possibilities of using the connector to make columns and beams.

2.Additional

Existing

1. ENTRANCE

- SANDPIT FLOOR - RACE TRACK

2. WORKSHOP - QUIET SPACE - GROUP WORK

3. THEATRE

- CLIMBING WALL - TUNNEL ENTRANCE - CHANGING ROOMS - MUSIC PRACTICE ROOMS

4.INDOOR GARDEN - DEN BUILDING ZONE - PLANTS AND GREENERY

5. OUTDOOR GARDEN - PLAY, SMELL, TOUCH, GROW

6. KITCHEN - COOKING STATIONS MIXED HEIGHT -DINING TABLES

7. LIVING ROOM - FIRE PIT - TRUBUNE

- CLIMBING SLOPE

Engaging education (Engaging architecture)

Different types of learners with different social personalities require different environments. Some are more social, solitary, kinaesthetic, audio or visual. Creating different nesting environments allows for the child to make conscious decisions to find his or her ideal space.

Types of nest Movement studies

Embedded within the design are different inhabitable spaces that are inspired by the eight existing types of nest.

TECH PERFORM

PRACTICE

Short Section A 1:200

BUILD DIS COVER

STUDY GROW TASTE

Short Section C 1:200

Space to build freely

Reference Ontdekfabriek - Eindhoven,NL

Reference Jeugdland, Amsterdan, NL

Semi covered garden

THEATRE

WORKSHOP

INDOOR GARDEN

GARDENS

Afterword

Realised through hands on research, engagement with the site, and a series of workshops with children and educators, the project is grounded in lived experience and creative practice. It seeks to demonstrate how creativity can act as a bridge, connecting past and future, community and opportunity, tradition and innovation. By embedding educational spaces within the fabric of post-industrial landscapes, we can begin to challenge the spatial, social, and economic boundaries that continue to limit access and aspiration. In doing so, the project also creates immediate opportunities for employment by collaborating with local makers, artists, and craftspeople- those whose skills, knowledge, and practices are often overlooked in rapidly changing economies. Their involvement not only enriches the learning experience for children, but also supports the local economy by making use of locally sourced and repurposed materials, promoting sustainable practices and a deeper connection to place.

In reflection upon the beginning goals, I believe the project has kept it’s essence and core beliefs. Through engagement with the site and the people who live and work there, it could be viable move to bring this project into reality.

Beginning goals

1. Learning facility

A safe and fun facility which enables the appropriate learning standards of modern day- despite financial disposition.

2. Safe urban environment

The surrounding neighbourhood becomes a safe haven and welcome playground for all.

3. Circular economy

Park Royal makes use of its produce- as a circular economy where makers take the reigns.

Bibliography

Architectural Theory & Case Studies

Alexander, C., Ishikawa, S., & Silverstein, M. (1977). A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction. Oxford University Press.

Van Eyck, A. (2008). Writings. Sun Architecture.

Hertzberger, H. (2008). Space and the Architect: Lessons in Architecture 2. 010 Publishers.

Pallister, J. (2019). Architecture for Children. RIBA Publishing.

Feireiss, K. (Ed.). (2007). Architecture of Change: Sustainability and Humanity in the Built Environment. Gestalten.

Child Psychology & Educational Theory

Montessori, M. (1967). The Absorbent Mind. Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

Piaget, J. (1951). Play, Dreams and Imitation in Childhood. Routledge.

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Harvard University Press.

Whitebread, D. (2012). The Importance of Play: A Report on the Value of Children’s Play with a Series of Policy Recommendations. University of Cambridge.

Gopnik, A. (2009). The Philosophical Baby: What Children’s Minds Tell Us About Truth, Love, and the Meaning of Life. Picador.

Urban Planning & Policy

Greater London Authority. (2021). London Plan 2021. https://www.london.gov.uk

Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC). (2022). Local Plan: Regulation 19 Draft. https://www.london.gov.uk/opdc

Brent Council. (2020). Park Royal Design Guide Supplementary Planning Document (SPD).

Department for Education. (2015). Baseline Design: Guidance for Educational Buildings. UK Government.

CABE. (2010). Creating Excellent Primary Schools: A Guide for Clients. Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment.

Local Context & Community

OPDC (Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation). (2023). Community Engagement Report.

London Borough of Ealing. (2022). Ealing Local Plan 2021-2041: Draft for Consultation.

Mahony, K. (2021). Reimagining Education Spaces in Urban Settings. Architects’ Journal, 248(5), pp. 34–39.

Wates, N. (2000). The Community Planning Handbook. Earthscan.

Design & Sustainability

McDonough, W., & Braungart, M. (2002). Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things. North Point Press.

Day, C. (2007). Places of the Soul: Architecture and Environmental Design as a Healing Art. Routledge.

Dudek, M. (2015). Children’s Spaces. Routledge.

MacKeith, S. (2016). Designing for the Future: Sustainable Architecture for Learning Environments. RIBA Publishing.

Books & Monographs

Wong, Liliane. Adaptive Reuse in Architecture: A Typological Index. Birkhäuser, 2023. A valuable resource offering 50 examples of architectural reuse, classified by building type — ideal for exploring how old structures can be transformed into new programs like children’s spaces.

Stone, Sally. UnDoing Buildings: Adaptive Reuse and Cultural Memory. Routledge, 2019. Explores how buildings can be reinterpreted through reuse while respecting or reimagining their memory and identity — a useful lens when designing for children in former industrial settings.

Adaptive Reuse of the Built Heritage – Concepts and Cases of an Emerging Discipline. Routledge. A broad academic look at adaptive reuse, offering theoretical foundations and case studies that could inform industrial conversions with educational or community purposes.

Baum, Martina & Kees Christiaanse (eds.). City as Loft: Adaptive Reuse as a Resource for Sustainable Urban Development. GTA Verlag, 2016. Examines adaptive reuse of industrial zones as urban development tools — relevant for your thesis’ industrial context.

Robiglio, Matteo; Carter, David. Re-USA: 20 American Stories of Adaptive Reuse: A Toolkit for Post-Industrial Cities. Actar, 2017.

Case studies of adaptive reuse across the U.S., often involving industrial spaces; includes children- and community-focused programs.

Betsky, Aaron. Don’t Build, Rebuild: The Case for Imaginative Reuse in Architecture. Beacon Press, 2024. A philosophical and practical argument for reuse in architecture — insightful when thinking about children’s futures, environmental responsibility, and innovative material thinking.

Academic Articles / Journals / Theses

Koźmińska, Urszula. “Circular design: reused materials and the future reuse of building elements in architecture. Process, challenges and case studies.” IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 2020. A solid introduction to the design and logistical challenges of reusing materials in architecture.

Icibaci, Loriane. “Re-use of Building Products in the Netherlands: The development of a metabolism-based assessment approach.” A+BE: Architecture and the Built Environment, 2019.

Discusses a method for evaluating reused building components — potentially applicable when working with industrial materials.

Bilkent University Research Group. “Architectural students’ attitude towards using recycled materials in building design.” IDA: International Design and Art Journal.

Explores perspectives on reused materials, with implications for education buildings and experimental design approaches.

Unknown Authors. “Exploring environmental benefits of reuse and recycle practices: A circular economy case study of a modular building.” Resources, Conservation & Recycling, 2020.

Demonstrates how modular and reused components reduce environmental impact — relevant to your sustainability goals.

Discover Materials Journal. “Material use in the building envelope of 23 social housing neighborhoods with reuse insights from a case study.” Springer Nature, 2025.

Explores material reuse potential in real housing stock — could inform material sourcing for your building.

TU Delft Case Study. “Building Component Reuse in a Primary School in the Boerhaavewijk.” TU Delft Repository.

A direct case study of reuse in a school setting — highly relevant to your theme.

Acknowledgements:

Mentor: Dafne Wiegers

Commitee members:

Kamiel Klasse, Chris Steenhuis

Thank you for pushing me to explore beyond the boundaries in this project, with your insights and guidance.

External Advisor: Robert Wong

Thank you for letting me become part of your team, advising on co-design, and all the fun we had!

Personal thanks:

To my English family: Your belief in me pushed me beyond, every late night late, any moments of doubt.

Mum you are my hero.

To my Amsterdam family: The family I inherited through these years, this shared chaos and loving joy, is something I will continue to cherish.

To Levi: Thank you for always encouraging me to keep pushing and enduring this crazy journey.

To all who accompanied me during this project with advice, love or support- I am ever grateful.