Treehouse School Takes Learning to a New Level

Eco-friendly classrooms at the Elleray Preparatory School

I thought we had green schools here in Bend, Oregon.  Then I read about the Elleray Preparatory School in the United Kingdom.  The school hired a Windermere-based architect, Rob Gaukroger, to create eco-friendly classrooms using up-cycled and recycled materials.

The resulting new classrooms are nothing short of amazing!  What kid wouldn’t want to go to a Treehouse School?

Three eco-friendly classrooms were constructed on Douglas Fir stilts, with shingles made of English chestnut, and are connected by a platform made of recycled plastic milk bottles and wood shavings.  Solar panels provide clean, solar energy for the buildings.  Many of the materials for the project were salvaged from older buildings, saving them from the landfill.

Going green wasn’t the only motivation for the Treehouse School.  The architect had a limited budget due to the lack of school funds.  It just goes to show you what a little creativity can do when you are pinched for pennies….

Students at the Elleray Preparatory School will learn real-life lessons about the value of recycling and upcycling, in the comfort of the treehouse classrooms.  How about that for hands-on instruction in science, engineering, and social studies?

As a parent, I can only imagine that it might be a little bit easier to get the kids out the door for school in the morning, if this was their destination!  Now, where can I build a treehouse school in Bend?