Project Updates: Simon Reid, Designer at Lungfish Architects
Lungfish, an interdisciplinary design team, was originally the design arm of the public sector procurement organisation Scape Group. In 2016, it became an independent entity, continuing to specialise in delivering projects for the benefit of local communities. The name "Lungfish" was carefully chosen to be memorable, timeless, and symbolise adaptability, inspired by the lungfish that has survived millennia and can live both in water and on land.
The team's mission is to create meaningful and sustainable design solutions that serve and engage local populations effectively. This commitment to community-focused projects is evident in their work on the Cotton End Forest School, a primary school and nursery for Bedford Borough Council, completed in 2019. The school provides 686 nursery and primary school places and incorporates outdoor learning spaces, including indoor and outdoor classrooms, a pond with dipping platform, an amphitheatre, meadows, forests, a market garden, and a market square. At Cotton End Forest School, 60% of the teaching takes place outside, regardless of the weather.
Another notable project by Lungfish is the Bedford Greenacre Independent School, completed in collaboration with Netherlands-based contractors Pellikaan Construction. The school has 680 pupils from Reception through to Year 13.
Forest schools, which originated in Scandinavia and have existed in the UK since the early 1990s, champion the outdoor environment as a place to nurture creativity through self-activity and investigation. This approach has been shown to positively impact children's mental health, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Forest School Association is collecting and sharing information, and developing curriculum content for Forest Schools. However, there's a need for more evidence and results to quantify its benefits. Despite this, the term "Forest School" is gaining popularity, and schools like Cotton End Forest School are leading the way in demonstrating the potential of this innovative approach to education.
Simon Reid, the Managing Director of Lungfish, is a nature enthusiast and concerned about delays in the planning system and the introduction of centralized design into their sustainable process. His concern underscores Lungfish's commitment to creating designs that are tailored to the needs of the local community, rather than adhering to a one-size-fits-all approach.
In addition to their work on schools, Lungfish also works on a variety of other projects, all with the aim of benefiting local communities. Their name, symbolising adaptability, is a testament to their ability to evolve and adapt to the needs of their clients and the communities they serve.
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