WRC Shingles for Education and Skills Centre

The Earth Trust is an environmental learning charity whose aim is to champion green spaces for all.

In recent years Earth Trust has been working creatively to find new ways to welcome and excite people about their amazing environment, whilst protecting the landscape heritage. During 2020 they embarked on their most ambitious project to date – the Gateway Programme – a plan to improve facilities for visitors at the Earth Trust centre, extend educational opportunities, and inspire debate and action about how we enjoy and protect our green spaces into the future.

A key part of that transformation was the creation of a new education and skills centre, Earth Lab, to provide a stimulating, interactive and inspirational learning space. Earth Lab’s vision was for ‘living’ classrooms, with learning opportunities built into the fabric of the building, providing hands-on immersive experiences of ecosystems that fully engage learners with the environment around them.

Designed in sympathy with the surrounding landscape, the intention was to augment the natural beauty of the stunning setting at the foot of the iconic Wittenham Clumps and provide a seamless flow from indoor to outdoor learning areas.

Agile Property, the Architects leading the project, specified Western Red Cedar shingles for a large part of the Earth Lab building. 

Not only do Western Red Cedar shingles have a beautiful natural appearance, but their rich warm colour tones blend seamlessly with the natural environment. What’s more, Western Red Cedar shingles are renewable; sustainable; their manufacture produces low emissions and no wastage; they contribute to providing energy-efficient buildings, and they are recyclable. This makes them a truly 'green' building material.

Photography by - Ben Tynegate | Architect - Agile Property & Homes Limited | Construction - Beard Construction