The UK desperately needs more nurseries to accommodate an ever-growing demand especially with the imminent expansion of funded childcare, explains Alex Raher, architect and co-founder of Delve Architects

It was a welcome announcement in June, that the new Labour government has pledged to deliver 3,000 new nurseries for the UK by transforming unused primary school classroom spaces.

In order to deliver these numbers in the most cost-effective and environmentally friendly way, we should be looking to retrofit existing commercial buildings, rather than just focusing on empty classrooms.

There is a great potential to create beautiful, unique nurseries in every community, utilising existing commercial spaces that are currently vacant or underused.

Each building in the UK is allocated a ‘Planning Use Class’ and nurseries fall under Use Class E, which also includes many other commercial services, such as retail units, pubs, industrial areas and offices. In 2020, updates to the law around Permitted Development rights, means that any business service that operates within use Class E, can be changed to another type of business within the space without needing to apply for planning permission.

This is particularly useful for nursery operators, as the dynamic nature of a nursery setting can allow for educational spaces in unique, quirky or overlooked commercial Class E spaces.

A Victorian pub with high ceilings, storage space and existing services for heating, cooling and cooking can be a perfect set up for a new nursery. A former industrial warehouse can be stripped back to its bones, and retrofitted with a sustainable interior fit out to create a multifunctional nursery space. Split levels and mezzanines can make clever use of all available space in, for example, a former retail space with double height ceilings. If needs be, dropped ceilings can be introduced to hide services, play with scale and create a softer, homely feel, with joinery, climbing areas, and tactile (rubber floors) spaces for active play.

Some key considerations when looking at commercial sites that could be repurposed:

• The ‘shell building’ needs to be able to install (or have already) basic services (mechanical and electrical services, ventilation, cooking space and lavatories).
• Think about the ceiling heights. The best spaces we have worked on have good existing ceiling height. It creates a more welcoming space and also can be used to hide services if needs be.
• Consider planning requirements, especially if the building is listed or in a conservation area. Some changes may not be straightforward, or acceptable from a heritage perspective.
• The interior fit-out doesn’t have to be overly expensive. A simple, child-led and tactile approach works best, using natural, sustainable materials and a subtle approach to colour and acoustics to create nurturing, not loud, spaces.
• External space – while not all nurseries have access to direct external space, it is always possible to consider light, greenery and natural materials in the design, potentially creating courtyards or maximising light through existing windows/external facade.
  
  Any design approach should have the goal of creating spaces that nurture, embrace and capture the bright imaginations of young people. Whether it’s urban, suburban or rural areas, we can use our skills with planning, design and feasibility studies to utliise those builds for an acquisition or development.
  
  Delve started working in this sector after retrofitting a former doctors surgery into a thriving nursery in West London, and have since developed our passion for using design to help new nurseries open or expand their businesses. We also have first-hand experience of finding childcare space with our own families, which gives us empathy and a deeper understanding of the industry. The driving force at the heart of a nursery is the teachers – the incredible people who are responsible for our children’s early education – and we strongly believe the new government need carefully to consider supporting small businesses and educators in their new ambitious expansion targets.

A recently completed project is the transformation of a former industrial warehouse, The Learning Tree, in East London, with a light, spacious and sustainably driven fit-out to create a 120-child nursery. The building is a success, not just with its local community but also earning a coveted award from the Royal Institute of British Architects in May this year.

Examples from other practices show how a simple design approach and creative thinking can transform existing buildings, or repurpose existing nursery sites. Ilys Booker Centre in West London was repurposed this year by Perkins&Will, which provides a much-needed new nursery that was previously in the basement of Grenfell Tower prior to the 2017 fire.

Focusing on light and nature, the designers have managed to create a dynamic space in a tight urban environment, which provides much better connection to the outdoors. It is an example of a simple approach to a nursery setting shaped by focusing outwards, using natural materials, and through extensive consultation with the local community. Nature frames the outside views and little touches of art and colour connect the inside and outside.

Studio Egret West took the existing shell of the Park Hill development in Sheffield, to deliver a clever, compact nursery along a long rectangular footprint, installing playful joinery and exposing the concrete structure as part of the conservation approach. Alma-nac converted a grand Victorian house in Herne Hill, Southeast London, into a bustling new nursery, retaining the ‘residential’ feel of the building but filling it with fun spaces for young minds to explore. Nicholas Kirk introduced a neutral colour palette and plywood joinery to transform a former Victorian warehouse into a nursery, through low-intervention interior work in a small, but well-functioning urban site.

When looking at empty commercial spaces, why not consider them for early years educational provision? Empty retail units could be re-provisioned as they have a simple entrance/ exit arrangement that allows for careful management and safeguarding. Natural light is a key factor so points to consider would be the ability for dual-aspect or double-height spaces, with roof lights to bring light down.

We should consider a nationwide retrofit strategy, to transform under-used and poorly performing commercial, residential or retail spaces into nurseries. The demand is there; we need a call to action as an industry to shake things up and move this forward.

If a developer can zero-rate VAT on a building, by demolishing rather than retaining the existing fabric, why can we not consider zero-rate VAT for nursery retrofit? Retrofit works for educational spaces and is our best approach in delivering nurseries that communities need, across the UK.