Biophilic Design within Education

We’re excited to announce our partnership with TG Escapes on their innovative biophilic primary school that is environmentally conscious, cost-effective, and easy to construct.  MTM Consulting have been supporting TG Escapes with their school-based market research and strategy.

The Challenge

Today’s young people in the UK are facing numerous challenges. These include technological disruptions, socialisation issues due to the pandemic, and concerns about climate change. As a result, children’s mental well-being is under strain.  This creates a major challenge for schools, teachers, parents, and higher education professionals. Studies have shown that well-designed spaces can have a significant impact on occupants, particularly in reconnecting them with nature.

Finding Solutions

TG Escapes has designed a new modular eco-building for a single-entry nursery and primary school.  This is primarily constructed from timber to ensure a low embodied carbon value, net-zero energy usage, and maximum sustainability.

The design includes separate pavilions connected by covered walkways and canopies.  These surround a central landscaped area with an outdoor classroom at its centre. This promotes interaction and connection with nature, encouraging sociability, play, and outdoor learning. The walkways replace typical internal circulation spaces, promoting wellness and environmental biodiversity. There are various seating, play and learning facilities, and interaction with the surrounding landscape.

The holistic design encourages more outdoor activity. Lessons can be held outside in the central outdoor classroom or elsewhere in the landscape. Additionally, each classroom can be heated to the optimal temperature for its occupants, resulting in energy savings. Renewable energy sources like solar and wind turbines, as well as air and ground source heat pumps, can generate energy.

Studies have shown that biophilic design in classrooms can aid in sensory and motor development, reduce stress and fatigue caused by noisy, open-plan classrooms, increase cognitive ability and emotional well-being, and improve attention spans.

“Timber classrooms can reduce the heart rate of occupants by 8,600 beats per day (roughly 6 beats per minute) versus a traditional classroom.”
Joanneum Research

Other Key Benefits

It’s not just good news inside the classroom either. As Mark Brown, from TG Escapes explains, “Constructed almost entirely from timber, the school will be a low cost, rapidly erected, high performance and durable building structure. With a low embodied carbon value, it will be net-zero and highly sustainable. Furthermore, it will be more affordable to build, maintain and run than traditionally constructed buildings.”

The team at MTM Consulting was delighted to be selected following a competitive tender process to provide both market research and strategic support for this exciting new project. James Leggett, Managing Director at MTM Consulting, explains why.

“The evolution of TG Escapes’ vision of a biophilic school from concept to reality is a project for which we are proud to provide support and expertise. It is ambitious in its scope, ecologically friendly and fundamentally rooted in the betterment of social mobility.”

If you would like to talk to a member of the MTM team about how we could help you develop your vision for a new school, please do get in touch with our Head of Business Development, Daniel Cohen at danielc@mtmconsulting.co.uk.