The Cardboard Building at Westcliff Primary School is a detached activity space that showcases the potential of cardboard as a sustainable construction material. Designed by Cottrell & Vermeulen Architecture.
It accommodates about 800 pupils aged between 3 and 11, and is classified as one of the most deprived in the country.
The Cardboard Building is the latest project providing a multipurpose space benefiting both the school and social needs of the community. This is a small building with excellent sustainable credentials made of cardboard and timber with a high proportion of it being cardboard, and where 90% of the materials have been recycled. It is hoped that the project will promote the use of cardboard as a sustainable building material.
The school community was involved with the project from the outset. The children collected card for recycling, helped design and develop the building, and took part in a live BBC broadcast. This engagement with the production process of their new classroom fostered a sense of ownership and pride in their environment within the school and this extended to the local community.
The building has attracted international attention and been the subject of numerous publications and articles and won a RIBA Award in 2002.
