Spaces for Eating, James Gillespie’s Primary School

We are emphatic that schools should deliver the best possible spaces for learning. We follow closely, new ideas for what makes a good learning environment. At primary school age, one of the best, if not the best learning spaces is a natural outdoor landscape. Learning also occurs through the everyday act of eating and socialising between peers, and not just teacher to pupil. At James Gillespie’s Primary School, a feasibility for the parent council investigates alteration and upgrading of the school dining experience, providing solutions to transform a noisy, dark, airless and rather disconcerting dining space.

Our proposals open up the space to a south west sunny and tree lined external space, introducing views, sunlight, ventilation and a direct connection to a new outdoor dining space. An outside eating space is a cultural shift for the school, which will encourage threads of learning through opportunities such as a new kitchen garden.  These simple but considered changes can weave the everyday lunchtime practice with ideas of nature, growing, nutrition and provide a greater diversity for how children interact socially and comfortably. Attention is also given to simple solutions to the quality of the indoor dining space, through quite simple improvements to internal wall surfaces, acoustic and quality of artificial light.

Location: James Gillespie’s Primary School

Client: JGPS Parent Council