New inclusive outside spaces for a Manchester high school

Holmes Chapel Comprehensive School near Manchester came to us to help them to create an attractive outside seating area for their students.

They asked us to design a multi-functional entrance landscape with the aim of creating an outdoor communal area for students to gather and socialise throughout the year.

The challenge was that it had to incorporate a disability ramp and a series of steps.

We went back to the drawing board and turned what was quite a boring space into a terraced outdoor social space with bench seating at different levels – and accessible to all. By popping a canopy over the top, students can use it all year round, whatever the weather.

The space also functions as a key arrival point and successfully creates connections with the school’s other outdoor spaces, improving overall wayfinding throughout the site.