Project:
Repurposing the Pool into a flexible Teaching & Learning Space for Waltham Forest College

Field:
Education, Retrofit

Location:
London, UK

Year:
2025

Studio DERA’s transformation of a disused swimming pool into a flexible, low-carbon Teaching & Learning Space sets a new benchmark for sustainable educational retrofit. Retaining the existing structure preserved embodied carbon, reduced waste, and conserved the building’s character, while extensive thermal upgrades, triple glazing, and all-electric systems deliver high energy performance and comfort.

Co-designed with staff and students, the open-plan space supports a wide range of uses – from collaborative teaching and independent study to performances, conferences, and exams. A multi-level stage, adaptable furniture, and biophilic elements create an uplifting, healthy environment that fosters wellbeing and focus.

With a predicted operational energy use of just 70–90 kWh/m²/year and a 60-year design life, the project is both climate-resilient and future-ready, offering a replicable model for transforming underused educational assets into inspiring spaces for learning and community engagement.

The photography by Lorenzo Zandri

Contact us by phone +44 (0) 207 965 7350, send a message to mail@studiodera.com, or visit us at Unit 111, Bradbury Works, 3 Bradbury Street, London N16 8JN, UK. You can also find us on Instagram.