There is a section of school which is unrecognisable at the moment with exciting progress well underway behind the branded scrim. We are exceptionally honoured and proud to have been chosen as the inaugural school to have a transformative building from the Lighthouse Trust being established on our school grounds.
This biophilic designed building from Sheppard and Rout architects is designed to be a beacon of light for students who need a safe and calm space. With curving walls, timber cladding, specialised landscaping, integrated audio elements and living walls, they are intentionally and deliberately designed to be a place of calm for young minds.
During the last couple of weeks, a large number of staff have now been trained to work alongside external coaches to help support our boys as and when they need it.
St Thomas has been chosen to be the pilot school for this initiative and are incredibly proud to be a part of this most visionary initiative from Trust Founders Anna and Kent Gibbons. What is further extraordinary is that most of the work, materials and labor have been donated in-kind in order to bring this to life.
Our landscape is changing day by day physically but what’s more the landscape for our young men is now also changing so that they can be better equipped to regulate and to have a deliberate space to navigate to when the outside world gets loud.
Now entering July, the windows are in, the cladding is nearing completion and the upholstery colours are being finalised. This project isn’t your ordinary building. Even walking through right now there is an immediate sense of calm that descends upon as you walk through the formidable entrance way. The walls seem to disappear to guide and beckon the visitor further round into the heart of the building, past the living wall, where they’re presented with curving seats and bifold doors that look out onto calming planting and an extending deck.
Everything about this is purposeful, deliberate and designed.