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Merstham Park School’s new state-of-the-art campus showcases a commitment to sustainability, innovation, and student well-being. As part of the Department for Education’s Low Carbon Pathfinder initiative, the school’s outdoor spaces were designed to foster social interaction and environmental responsibility.
Tobermore’s high-quality block paving played a key role in achieving this vision, with Hydropave Fusion, Hydropave Pedesta, and Sienna Duo selected for their durability, permeability, and aesthetic appeal. These sustainable paving solutions not only enhance the visual and functional aspects of the school’s courtyard and entrance plaza but also support effective water management, ensuring a long-lasting, eco-conscious landscape for students and staff.
Merstham Park School has officially opened its doors, replacing the temporary facilities that had been in place since the school’s inception in 2018.
The new buildings were constructed on the site of the former Chart Wood School in Merstham in a £23.7m project. The modern, modular building accommodates 900 pupils and includes classrooms, a play space, a dance studio and an all-weather sports pitch.
As one of the Department for Education’s Low Carbon Pathfinder projects, the school is designed with sustainability at its core. It operates primarily on electricity and features high-efficiency heating and cooling systems, along with roof-mounted solar panels to further reduce its environmental impact.
The school grounds were designed with the Department of Education’s vision to make green spaces an essential part of the school experience. This landscape embraces biophilic design principles, incorporating natural systems, textures, and tones to promote psychological, physiological, and emotional well-being.
When designing the outdoor spaces for the new school, Natural Dimensions, the landscape architects responsible for the project, sought a hard landscaping solution that would align with the project’s commitment to sustainability and well-being. The goal was to enhance daily life for students and staff by creating an aesthetically pleasing, functional, and eco-conscious environment that would serve as a model for sustainable educational landscapes.
At the heart of the school’s outdoor design is a 2,500m² courtyard. This courtyard serves as the primary social hub, designed to support outdoor dining, informal meetings, and collaborative learning. The hard landscaping was a critical element in defining this space, ensuring durability, visual appeal, and a seamless integration with the school’s sustainability goals.
The courtyard is bordered by a significant number of trees, creating a natural, forest-like setting. By selecting sustainable paving solutions that blend with the surrounding greenery, the project successfully created an inviting, multifunctional outdoor space.
The result is a school landscape that not only supports social interaction and learning but also showcases environmental responsibility in hard landscaping design.
Tobermore’s block paving was selected for its durability, sustainability, and ability to harmonise with the school’s natural and architectural surroundings. A combination of Hydropave Fusion in Mid Grey and Silver, Hydropave Pedesta Natural, and Sienna Duo in Silver & Graphite was chosen to meet the project’s requirements.
The vibrant, granite aggregate finish of Tobermore Sienna and Hydropave Fusion block paving complements the modern design of the new school building. It provides a high-quality finish that enhances the visual appeal of the outdoor spaces.
The outdoor spaces were designed for high foot traffic, requiring a surface that is both durable and low maintenance. Tobermore’s block paving provides a hard-wearing, slip-resistant finish, ensuring pupils can safely use the courtyard for socialising and relaxation throughout the school day.
A critical factor in material selection was sustainability. Tobermore’s Hydropave range is designed for permeability, allowing water to drain naturally and reducing surface runoff. Hydropave’s permeable sub-base also filters pollutants, ensuring that rainwater returns to the earth clean. This feature supports the school’s commitment to a more sustainable landscape by improving water management.
The project successfully balanced aesthetics, functionality, and environmental responsibility—creating an inviting, long-lasting outdoor space that enhances student well-being while setting a standard for sustainable school landscaping.
"Tobermore’s products stood out for this project due to their subtle colour variations and the versatility of their paving sizes. The Hydropave range met the project's requirement for permeable paving across the entire site while offering the necessary dimensions for different spaces. For the plaza entrance, the larger plan sizes of Hydropave Fusion were ideal, creating a striking yet balanced visual effect. The carefully selected colour variations blended seamlessly to form an attractive pattern. The courtyard’s intricate geometry required careful material selection, and Tobermore’s range allowed us to define different zones effectively. The subtle contrasts in shape, colour, and texture helped to delineate spaces while maintaining a balanced and high-quality aesthetic."
