Wychwood School Oxford
Rhubarb has worked with many schools and colleges over the years and seating for education settings of all types has always been a core focus for us. Our association with Wychwood has been long-standing and we have completed several projects for them, most recently the design and furnishing of several new spaces created during the recent refurbishment of the school as well as the supply of chairs for all the classrooms throughout the school. We were asked to guide everything from the use of the various spaces and how best to arrange them to the selection of appropriate seating and fabrics for each of the areas.
To Deliver
- Sofas, armchairs and visitor chairs and tables for the new Head’s office and waiting area that create a strong and positive first impression for parents and other visitors to the school.
- Sofas, armchairs and lounge chairs for the large reception area which have a consistent design and style to the Head’s Office and provide a comfortable and stylish area for visitors, staff and pupils to meet, chat and relax.
- Sixth Form and Boarding Common Room spaces for the students to socialise, relax and collaborate as well as having quiet areas for study.
- Re-upholstered chairs for the library and other areas.
- Classroom chairs which provide comfort and support as well as style.
- Appropriate tables for the Head’s Office and reception areas.
- Quality, comfortable and robust seating to withstand the challenges of a school environment while at the same time creating the right impression and an inviting feel for the lounge and communal areas.
Project Scope
Working closely with the Head, Jane Evans, and the Director of Operations, Duncan Radnor, we created seating proposals for each area that took into consideration their exact requirements for both the use of the space and the functionality, comfort and durability of the furniture.
We were very conscious of their desire to create spaces that had a certain “wow” factor while at the same time being furnished with pieces that are designed and made with the demands of a school at front of mind. Our Hoxton sofas and armchairs in the Head’s Office and receptions areas, complemented by Lisbon lounge chairs, provided exactly the right mix of luxury and homely style; the Marna sofas, Beanbag 2.0 and Stella units in the Sixth Form and Boarding spaces have gone down a storm with the students; and the Mata cantilever chairs for the classrooms have been universally praised by the staff for their flexibility and comfort.
How we Delivered
Our in-house design team provided 2D and 3D space plans which ensured that the Head and the Director of Operations were able to properly visualise what we were proposing and also enabled us to play around with the various configurations to arrive at exactly the solution they were looking for.
We advised on the selection of suitable fabrics for each area, while at the same time working within the necessary budget. Panaz Luxe Velvet provided the necessary softness for the Hoxton sofas and armchairs in Head’s Office and reception areas, with Malone Gatsby to provide an eye-catching contemporary “pop” to the backs of the Lisbon lounge chairs against the practicality of the Chieftain Just Colour vinyl on the seats. Panaz Highland was the choice for all the student areas – its durability made it an obvious candidate but its broad colour palette, texture and feel sealed its selection.
Testimonial
- Duncan Radnor – Director of Operations, Wychwood School Oxford.
