Bradbury Den

Chailey Heritage Foundation (CHF) supports children and young people with complex neurodisabilities. Patchwork Farm is sited within CHF and provides therapeutic animal-assisted activities that promote wellbeing, communication and independence. However, poor weather restricts use for much of the year, prompting CHF to seek a year-round community facility. Our brief for the Bradbury Den was to create a fully accessible, weatherproof classroom that supports interaction with animals and nature, whilst meeting CHF students’ needs, and remaining welcoming to the public.
The four key design strategies that underpin the Bradbury Den are:
1. To retain the existing barn for animals and as an environmental buffer.
2. To insert a super insulated single storey classroom as the primary all weather space.
3. To utilise bio-based material from the site and surroundings to construct the new building
4. To include staff, students and volunteers in the construction process