Nest nursery by Delve Architects – ADC

London-based studio Delve Architects have transformed an empty commercial lot into a nursery in Royal Wharf, East London.

Known as the ‘Nest’, the project for client Hestia Education occupies the ground floor of a 19-storey-high residential block of apartments and is part of a masterplan from developers Ballymore and Oxley to being more young families to the neighbourhood.

To make more space and let further light into the nursery, a new mezzanine was inserted, increasing the internal area by almost 50 per cent to 270 square metres, creating a series of double-height spaces in the process.

Softwood furnishings and a palette of pastel hues amplify the lightness of the space, while also instilling a sense of calm in what can sometimes be a lively environment. Maple veneered joinery, recycled Linoleum flooring and low VOC paints have been employed to achieve this in a sustainable manner, in turn creating tactile surfaces and encouraging curious youngsters to look up and around to think about the space they will regularly occupy and engage with.

HVAC services in the ceiling have been deliberately exposed as Delve sought to foster a ‘behind the scenes’ feel to the nursery’s working areas, with views to this gently curated by spraying the soffit and services in a playful matt pink.

Views out and through the building too have been given careful attention, too: an expansive double set of six bifold doors open up onto a 145 square metre garden that looks out over the River Thames; while archways create thresholds within the nursery to accentuate perspective views through and demarcate areas within the space.

Outside, in the garden a remnants of a large fallen tree have been assembled to make a playscape that can be used to climb on and hide in. External fencing, designed by Delve, echoes that of the tower’s balconies and has been powder coated to match the ribbon fin detail of a new staircase inside that connects the mezzanine level.

“Our design concept was inspired by the ’Nest’ nursery emphasis on outdoor play, well-being and sustainable materials,” Alex Raher, director at Delve Architects said, speaking to Architecture Today. “We wanted to create a space full of light that connected the indoor and outdoor spaces seamlessly. We installed wide bifold doors that blend the internal teaching areas into the external garden in the warmer months, and an open plan layout inside for a free-flow internal arrangement. The maple timber fins are designed to divide the large, triple height space visually and physically – as something the children could use to play, interact and explore their environment. The idea was to interweave the educational philosophy of the nursery, with an adventure and exploration of the everyday architecture, whilst keeping things at a playful childlike scale.”

“In the Nest, our core focus is to ensure children feel relaxed and comfortable in their environment,” Andy Matthews, director of Hestia Education, said in a statement. “We worked closely with Alex and his team at Delve in the conceptual design phase to ensure we were well aligned in creating this space. This was absorbed and always at the core of the process. From then on, it was a combination of pragmatic, quality-focussed design to inspire excitement, engagement and give the children better understanding of the world around them.”