Adobe Outdoor Classroom - not an igloo!

Today we celebrated the opening of the Adobe outdoor classroom at Hounslow Heath Infants and Nursery School - one of serveral local schools in the worst noise environment in the country. The school raised money from BAA and other sources to build the classroom and surrounding landscaping.  The school is within the 63 dB LeQ contour line which means it's very noisy and outdoor play and teaching is continuously disturbed by the noise of a flying aircraft. Frequently this is every 60 seconds and it takes about 30 seconds for a plane to go overhead.

At the centre of the scheme is a large dome room big enough to seat 30 children.  It's cool in summer and warm in winter, and quiet inside.  Surrounding it is a range of play surfaces and the children playing in a really do seem to join enormously the landscaping which also serves to absorb some of the sound.  The rooms and other structures are made from coils of rammed earth, built up and covered with render, and the design is inspired by Nader Kalili of California, the guru of natural earth buildings.