Westminster City School

Over the Easter Break this year, with the help of many partners and volunteers, we transformed an unloved roof garden at a City Centre School to a thriving buzzing space (literally!). Read on to find out how and why…

Although a standalone project, this was part of the social strategy for a larger commercial project – 105 Victoria Street. Sustainability and social engagement are intrinsic to the developer, BGO.  The goal was simple: to deliver maximum biodiversity and social value for the school, with the lowest carbon footprint. In practice, this meant:

• A brief driven by the school and a delivery plan driven by the team behind 105VS
• A durable and renewable scheme that would be a positive asset to the school, built during term breaks.
• Reusing/repurposing materials wherever possible and appropriate.
• Public transport or walk/cycle to site.
• Deliveries by electric vehicles where possible.
• Members of the consultant team and contractors from 105VS, plus staff and pupils from the school, working together to deliver the project, led by B&W.

The school wanted an area the 6^th form could use unsupervised but could also work as a teaching asset. It had to be very low maintenance. The strategy was essentially re-use : re-purpose : adapt. This was principally for sustainability reasons, although it also meant maximum leverage for the sums invested and community involvement. B&W’s purpose as a business is to enhance lives and landscapes. This aligned perfectly with that.

We held short, fortnightly meetings for three months before installation to coordinate design, production and installation to minimise waste and maximise re-use : re-purpose : adapt. To start this was the client, Skanska and B&W design with the installation team included in the last eight weeks. Initially we targeted February break, but meticulous planning was necessary to minimise waste, so installation was set for Easter break. It was completed within the allotted time slot.

The existing timber planters were re-used, and some of the planting was retained. The paving was cleaned and left in place. In the green roof area, after consultation with the school’s head of biology, we left the substrate but removed the vegetation (mostly windblown pioneers) and laid wildflower turf to be used for teaching programmes.

Preliminary budget was set at £20K, and to start with, we looked at re-purposing delivery pallets to 105VS as furniture, but there were too many H&S and fire risks. We pivoted halfway through the planning to use bought in furniture, but from a very sustainable source – Vestre – made in The Plus, the world’s most environmentally friendly furniture factory, in Magnor, Norway. The final budget was £26K.

Deliberately targeting outdoor green space as break out and teaching areas was unusual, rather than paying lip-service to it. In particular, collaboration with the school meant that it was closely aligned with their needs, instead of being top-down. We worked with the biology department on a plan to incorporate the living roof areas into teaching – showing how quadrat analysis over a period meant the value of this as a research and teaching tool would increase with time as the databank built on how the roof adapted to its situation. They also intend to monitor insect populations and see how they change year by year.

We find that increasingly clients are aligned with our purpose – to enhance lives and landscapes. We have a reputation for high end landscapes, but actually our work spreads over a very wide range from social housing and the health sector to work for the very wealthy. What they have in common is a belief in the ability of landscape to add more than monetary value, and the means to achieve that. This frequently means that – like this client (BGO) – they also understand the environmental and social context. For them (and for us) this environmental and social case aligns with an economic case.

For under £30k, we turned an unused roof garden at Westminster City School into a living, biodiverse space — using repurposed materials and powered almost entirely by volunteers.

The space had been lifeless for years. Working with BGO, Skanska, Wondering CIC and the 105 Victoria Street social impact team, we brought together construction partners, students and designers to transform it into a meaningful garden for learning, reflection and wellbeing.

Every decision prioritised sustainability: materials were reused from nearby developments, planting was selected for pollinators and long-term resilience, and no new concrete or plastics were introduced. Over 30 volunteers from across the project team helped deliver the garden — giving their time, skills, and energy to bring the vision to life.

The garden is now actively used by students and staff, with a noticeable boost in engagement, wellbeing and pride. As one student put it: “It’s a big upgrade from what we had before — it makes a difference to how we feel.”