Dezeen Magazine

St Mary's Infant School by Jessop and Cook Architects

Offset gabled volumes form a new classroom and play area at this infant school in Oxfordshire, England, by local firm Jessop and Cook Architects (+ slideshow).

St Mary's Infant School by Jessop and Cook Architects

Jessop and Cook Architects designed the adjoining buildings with the same profile, but shifted the timber play area sideways from the brick classroom.

St Mary's Infant School by Jessop and Cook Architects

"The different materials for the covered external canopy help create a warm friendly feel to the place and help define the spaces," project architect Dan Wadsworth told Dezeen. "We didn't want to just tack on a canopy and felt continuing to use brick would be too heavy and overbearing."

St Mary's Infant School by Jessop and Cook Architects

Covered in cedar shingles on the outside and clad with stained planks of the same wood inside, the timber structure provides a sheltered outdoor play area open to the playground. "We created a small enclosed secret garden for the children to play in," said Wadsworth.

St Mary's Infant School by Jessop and Cook Architects

Windows in the roof let in extra light, as well as the gap at the back where the two structures misalign.

St Mary's Infant School by Jessop and Cook Architects

Glass doors fold back to merge the play space with the classroom, which is normally entered from a door on the other side of the timber building.

St Mary's Infant School by Jessop and Cook Architects

Low wooden partitions house toys and learning materials for the 30 pupils, plus break up the single room to make smaller zones for different activities.

St Mary's Infant School by Jessop and Cook Architects

Steps in a back corner sit below a lowered portion of ceiling to create a small performance space. Additional teaching rooms and bathrooms are located at the back of the bulding.

St Mary's Infant School by Jessop and Cook Architects

Other primary schools we've featured include a modern version of traditional Japanese schoolhouse in Tokyo and one in The Hague that snakes around its site like a crocodile.

Photographs are by Nikhilesh Haval.

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