THE MIDDLE GROUND.

Conceptualising a People’s Palace in Holloway, inspired by the concept of a 15-Minute City, will serve as a space for the community to reunite, foster social interaction and well-being, reconnect, and challenge the boundaries between the built environment and nature.

Envisioning a nurturing environment for the youngest members of Nags Head, this project aims to design a sustainable and inclusive children’s nursery in Holloway. Named “The Middle Ground”, the nursery will serve as a risk-taking, adventurous juxtaposition between interior safety and exterior playground fun. The design features immersive bamboo plantarium walls that line the building’s façades to provide both privacy and transparency. This living envelope brings nature into the daily experience of the children while maintaining visual permeability and supervision. Circulation is designed as a sequence of narrowing and widening passages, encouraging exploration and discovery.

The project retains and adapts elements of the existing car park structure with new lightweight timber and glass insertions. The design strikes a balance between environmental strategies and child psychology, creating a nurturing yet stimulating environment where learning, play, and nature converge, generating: The Middle Ground.