WESTERDAHL - Instant House
WESTERDAHL - Instant House
WESTERDAHL - Instant House
WESTERDAHL - Instant House

Wimbledon Nursery

London, UK, 2025

We are pleased to have secured planning approval for a substantial extension and refurbishment of a nursery in Wimbledon. The project will provide much needed floor space on a tight urban site, while retaining a small but precious garden for outdoor play.

The project will transform the existing building, originally built as an office, to provide larger, brighter and better playrooms in delightful colours. We will build an additional floor for support functions including kitchen, office and staff room to free up the lower levels for playspace. A small rear extension and a larger front extension further increases the precious playspace right up to the site boundary.

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Image showing existing building

Image showing existing building

Image showing existing building

Image showing existing building

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Image showing proposed extension and refurbishment

Image showing proposed extension and refurbishment

Image showing proposed extension and refurbishment

Image showing proposed extension and refurbishment

The existing yellow brickwork will be retained, with new orange windows and red roof and metalwork added as a warm compliment. The fire rated boundary wall at the gable will be decorated with a playful mural to announce the building as a place for children. Across the facades, round windows and little pothole windows let toddlers peek out on the world around them and a large childlike signage marks the building.

The existing yellow brickwork will be retained, with new orange windows and red roof and metalwork added as a warm compliment. The fire rated boundary wall at the gable will be decorated with a playful mural to announce the building as a place for children. Across the facades, round windows and little pothole windows let toddlers peek out on the world around them and a large childlike signage marks the building.

The existing yellow brickwork will be retained, with new orange windows and red roof and metalwork added as a warm compliment. The fire rated boundary wall at the gable will be decorated with a playful mural to announce the building as a place for children. Across the facades, round windows and little pothole windows let toddlers peek out on the world around them and a large childlike signage marks the building.

The existing yellow brickwork will be retained, with new orange windows and red roof and metalwork added as a warm compliment. The fire rated boundary wall at the gable will be decorated with a playful mural to announce the building as a place for children. Across the facades, round windows and little pothole windows let toddlers peek out on the world around them and a large childlike signage marks the building.

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Image showing existing building

Image showing existing building

Image showing existing building

Image showing existing building

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Image showing proposed extension and refurbishment

Image showing proposed extension and refurbishment

Image showing proposed extension and refurbishment

Image showing proposed extension and refurbishment

Securing planning permission required extensive negotiations with the Merton Council’s Planning department. The site is locked in by neighbouring properties on three sides and situated directly behind residential houses. To minimise impact on the residential gardens in particular, the volume had to be carefully stepped and tapered with a pitched roof.

The project seeks to retain as much as possible of the existing building fabric, including the bright yellow external brickwork. This strategy simplifies the works and the party wall negotiations, while also minimising embodied carbon. The performance of the building will be enhanced with improved insulation, solar control glazing and photovoltaic panels on the roof.

The works are planned to start onsite in 2026.

Details

Location: Wimbledon
Project: Nursery extension and refurbishment
Client: Local nursery
Pre-Construction

Team

Architect & Principal Designer: Westerdahl.
Structural Engineer: SMITH + Partners
MEP Engineer: P3r Engineers Ltd
Fire Consultant: Fortress Assessments
Transport Consultant: Lime Transport
Party Wall Surveyor: Party Walls Surveyors Ltd.
Registered Building Inspector: Merton Council Building Control