WOOD GREEN SCHOOL, UK
NAME OF PROJECT: Wood Green School
YEAR OF COMPLETION: 2026
CITY, COUNTRY: Witney, Oxfordshire, UK
ARCHITECT: Roberts Limbrick
BUILDER: Barnwood Limited
FAÇADE INSTALLER: County Roofing Gloucester Ltd
TILES: First One, Grey and two shades of Green
M2: 260
COMPLETED PROJECT PHOTOGRAPHY: Martin Cleveland Photography
WOOD GREEN SCHOOL
RECYCLED PLASTIC FAÇADE FOR A NEW SCIENCE AND ART BUILDING IN OXFORDSHIRE
At Wood Green School in Witney, Oxfordshire, sustainable material choices became part of the architecture itself. Designed by Roberts Limbrick, the new Science and Art building features 260 m² of Pretty Plastic First One façade tiles, made from 100% recycled PVC building waste and specified for their circularity, durability, technical performance and visual appeal.
The new Science and Art building at Wood Green School in Witney combines purpose-built learning spaces with a strong focus on sustainable and low-carbon design.
Designed by Roberts Limbrick for Acer Trust and Oxfordshire County Council, the new two-storey extension is positioned within one of the school’s existing courtyards. Built around a steel frame structure, its exterior brings together masonry, metal cladding and double-glazed curtain walling with Pretty Plastic shingles made from 100% recycled PVC building waste.
SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS AS PART OF THE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN
The client was keen from the outset to showcase sustainable design and to reflect this ambition in the materials used throughout the project. As part of this approach, Roberts Limbrick researched a wide range of sustainable materials and selected Pretty Plastic for the first-floor façade.
The architects highlighted the combination of recycled content and technical performance: the tiles transform recycled PVC into weatherproof, fire-tested building cladding. Across 260 m², First One tiles in Grey and two shades of Green introduce the characteristic overlapping shingle pattern of the material into the building’s architecture.
Roberts Limbrick previously described Pretty Plastic as a material that “helped shape the design” of the project. Rather than considering sustainability separately from architecture, the choice of cladding became part of the design process itself.
WHY ROBERTS LIMBRICK SPECIFIED PRETTY PLASTIC
Daniel Organ, Associate ACIAT at Roberts Limbrick, explains why the material was selected:
“As part of the design process, the team prioritised the use of low-carbon and sustainable materials, reviewing a wide range of products. The Pretty Plastic tile stood out due to its strong environmental credentials, being manufactured from 100% recycled plastic waste. In addition to its sustainability, the product demonstrated excellent durability, visual appeal, and overall performance as a rainscreen cladding system, making it a clear choice for the project.”
The completed façade gives 6,344 kg of discarded PVC building material a new life. The tiles are designed for a long lifespan and can be individually replaced, demounted and recycled again, extending the circular approach beyond the initial choice of recycled material.
A NEW LEARNING ENVIRONMENT FOR WOOD GREEN SCHOOL
Inside, the new building provides modern classrooms, specialist laboratories and art studios. The surrounding courtyard has also been redesigned, transforming an underused area of hard standing into a social space with new planting and seating for students.
Now completed, the building has also received a positive response from the people using it every day. Daniel Organ:
“I'm so pleased with the completed building and the tiles - I think they look amazing! The school has had so many comments from kids, teachers and parents, and everyone is really pleased with it.”
Together, the new building and courtyard provide Wood Green School with a new learning environment in which sustainable material choices are not only part of the project’s environmental ambitions, but also part of its architecture.
WASTE UPCYCLED
26,110 KG
