Geotextile inspires students’ library design

Recycled geotextile fabric more usually found beneath Wallbarn’s award-winning M-Tray modular green roof system has helped students at a London school design ‘a space for belonging’ within their library.

The pupils, from St Paul’s Way Trust School, in Tower Hamlets, were taking part in Design Unlimited, a collaboration between outreach organisation Matt + Fiona and The Bartlett Faculty of the Build Environment (UCL).

The project aims to encourage young people to physically realise their ideas and foster an interest in a career in architecture, planning, construction and other design industries, creating a pathway for those from under-represented groups into built environment industries. It is open to all London state schools, with a focus on pupils in years 7-9.

Croydon-based Wallbarn was approached for help with supplying materials and was only too pleased to oblige, as Director Julian Thurbin explained:

“We were delighted to help out and really interested to see what the students designed. The recycled geotextile fabric is normally hidden from view beneath our M-Tray modular green roof system so it was a nice change for it to have centre stage for once!”

The students were quick to get to work discussing, cutting and shaping the geotextile material, fixing it to a framework within the library to create their new space.

A spokesperson for Matt + Fiona said:
“The geotextile fabric was a brilliant material for the young people to express their ideas for a space for belonging within their school library. The build was super energetic with lots of conversations around where the materials came from, how they were made etc. It was so heartening to see and hear how pleased they were with the outcome.”