Turning A Tractor Shed Into Classrooms

In this week’s blog post we are covering how Sima Bhudia and WF Education turned a former ‘tractor shed’ into functional STEM / Design & Technology classrooms. WF Education often works with libraries, so while this post isn’t specifically about them, the company’s approach is proven to work when redesigning libraries too. This blog post originally appeared on WF Education’s website, check out their article here.

St. Margaret’s School

St Margaret’s School is a co-educational, independent school for pupils aged 2 to 18 based in Bushey, Hertfordshire. The innovative and forward-thinking school welcomed Sima Bhudia to her new role as Head of Design & Technology (D&T) in September 2022. Her brief included the planning and implementation of a brand-new Design & Technology facility which also introduced enhanced STEM teaching and learning.

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WF Education worked with Sima to convert what was initially a ‘tractor shed’ into two functional D&T/STEM classrooms for multiple D&T activities, a CAD/CAM workshop, and a prep room.

“STEM is where we are heading now! Our spaces, and our teaching need to be flexible enough to teach cross-curricular, where maths and science come into projects and the science and maths teachers also teach – applying the knowledge of maths, science, and D & T and bringing it all together.”

–Sima Bhudia, Head of Design & Technology, St Margaret’s School

The road to transformation

To fulfill her dynamic, multi-activity D&T and STEM timetable, Sima needed a versatile and adaptable space, enabling her to adapt her practical teaching space for fabrication, CAD/CAM, textiles, design, and robotics. Working in a relatively small space – flexibility was key. Ensuring furniture could be moved fast between lessons was essential, including the ability to set up robotics quickly and easily and reconfigure for the next lesson. Akira™ mobile systems and quick setup robotics arenas delivered St Margaret’s School exactly that!

“The process was fantastic, trying to transform a space that was initially a tractor shed into a classroom was a mammoth task. WF were nby my side the whole way through the process. They understood D&T, what needed to be done, and had experience working with schools, offering great support and guidance along the way.”

The results

Through close consultation with Sima and the school’s project team, WF Education’s Design Team completed the FF&E space planning and mechanical and electrical (M&E) plans which resulted in the installation of an adaptable workshop and classroom, CAD/CAM workshop and prep room. The spaces included a range of mobile workbenches and mobile machinery, and equipment including a TX252 80W Glass Tube Laser Cutter package, a C R Clarke Model 600S Strip Heater, TSL educational bandsaw, plus sewing machines and a wide variety of hand tools, power tools, and materials.

The addition of storage for hazardous goods, large storage cupboards, material racking, and the Akira™ under-bench storage cupboards has given Sima and her students a safe, clean, and tidy practical teaching environment where materials and tools are easily accessible.

The Kiwi Green finish from the Akira™ colour palette has created a vibrant and contemporary environment for students and teachers, which will continue to spark innovation and creative minds for years to come.

“WF helped me plan how I wanted to teach in the space that I had with regular meetings. They were also open to changes along the way.”

We will be back with another interesting article from the library world soon!

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