An old shipping container and military parachute make up The Clearing education centre that architecture studio WonKy has created in Lesnes Abbey Woods in London.
Located in the borough of Bexley, The Clearing is used for lessons in woodwork, nature conservation and sustainable woodland management. It is also open to local schools as an outdoor classroom, giving children access to nature.
WonKy has created a woodland education centre in London
Local studio WonKy designed the centre to function as "an all-weather space" and constructed it with a palette of reclaimed materials.
Its main building is formed of an old shipping container with rusty facades, intended to blend into the woodland, while a decommissioned silk parachute is used as a large shelter. The Clearing is located in Lesnes Abbey Woods
WonKy said that embracing these reclaimed materials "maximised the budget and minimised the project's carbon footprint" ? a strategy that reflects the wider ambition of the studio.
"We pride ourselves on being resourceful and making the most of a client's budget, and are always looking at ways of re-use and recycling," studio co-founder Lefkos Kyriacou told Dezeen.
The main building incorporates a tower
"Whilst visiting a farm for a different project we noticed the client had spare shipping containers, so we asked them if they would like to donate one to a good cause," Kyriacou continued.
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