We have had numerous enquiries from schools – especially since the advent of the corona virus – who are looking for an outdoor “space”. They are not specifically looking for a mobile classroom for extra classroom space but are wanting something smaller, which can be used all year round and which can be used for a whole host of reasons (outdoor classroom, break out space, library, nurture room, staff room, forest school facility, community space etc)

Other factors on the “wish list” include for aesthetics, speed of construction, insulation properties and of course cost.

We have another side to our business which is selling accommodation pods and mini lodges to the hospitality, leisure and tourism trades and one of our biggest sellers is a mini lodge. But if you take out all of the inside elements which are required for an overnight guest, then you actually have exactly what schools are looking for.

These lodges – or shall we now call them mini modular classrooms within this context – come in a range of different sizes. They are always 3.6m in width (due to transport restrictions – see below) but the lengths are 5m, 7m and 9m. They are typically clad in cedar with an attractive cedar shingle tile roof but other materials are also available such as redwood pine or larch and felt shingle shingles (which are available in a range of colours). These units are fully insulated throughout to floor, walls and ceiling and so therefore have high thermal insulating properties which means they are cheaper to heat.

If needs be, we can also supply a kitchenette and WC facility. All units come with an electrics package including heating, lighting and power sockets.

These mini modular classrooms are pre-manufactured units so they are made at the factory and then delivered to site – fully pre-assembled – on the back of a special transport truck. Depending on access at the school, they are then either craned into position or towed. So time on site is minimal….like a day…so very little disruption to the school day.

They do however need to have some sort of a base if not being sited onto an existing hardstanding surface but we can also help in this instance with special ground screw foundation systems which don’t require any concrete being poured and can usually be installed within the day. The only thing a school has to do is to arrange for services to be run out to site – ie electrics or foul drainage/water if a WC has been elected for.

For further information on our mini modular classrooms, please call us on 01832 275902 or email: info@hideouthouse.com

We have recently completed a job which involves the supply of a bespoke building to be used as a multi-functional, fully enclosed outdoor classroom for forest school activities, as a community hub and for pre-school sessions. As it is sited in a wooded area, our client wanted to have a building which easily blended into this natural environment.

The size of the building is 7m x 4m and is fully clad in cedar and also features a cedar shingle tile roof. As there is a lot of equipment which needs to be stored away, we also built a special lean-to storage facility on the side of the building which also uses the same materials as the main building.

As part of the planning process stipulated that all protective measures should be made to safeguard the surrounding trees, we elected to use a special ground screw foundation system which could also deal with the gradient of the slope that the building was to be sited upon without having to undertake any levelling or landscape work. This is a procedure which involves drilling 12 large screws into the ground at pre-determined levels without the requirement of any concrete having to be poured and without damaging the tree roots.

The client also wanted to have a lot of natural light in the building so we allowed for the wood facing elevation to have windows in all upper sections.

The outdoor classroom internally features an attractive timber ceiling and walls which are a special profiled MDF in white. The classroom is fully insulated throughout so can be used all year round and has a WC/washbasin area. Our client has also added a kitchenette for the preparation of basic meals and hot drinks.

Kitchenette facility in forest school cabin

WC and coat pegs

The entire build of the classroom was done in seven working days including the installation of the afore-mentioned groundscrew foundation system.

These type of buildings are all modular so there are a choice of sizes available with a range of external claddings which include cedar, redwood pine and larch. We are also able to provide our unique renewable energy educational system which includes for a wind turbine/solar panel and energy monitoring board with outdoor sockets.

A video of this installation can also been by clicking on the link given below:

Forest school outdoor classroom

The Hideout House Company 

www.hideouthouse.com     01832 275902   email: info@hideouthouse.com

When the word Covid-19 is discussed what do you think of? Nine times out of ten it will be negative associations with the virus whether this may be the collapse of the world economy or the increase in national death rates.

However, this article takes a more positive outlook on the outbreak of the pandemic as to how it has made vast improvements on the public’s greater awareness of environmental degradation. Even before the development of the corona virus pandemic, the past 18 months has seen a significant shift in the way that corporations view their functions and how they could be detrimental to the environment.

Whether this may be from recent environmental movements and the media attention of Greta Thunberg and Extinction Rebellion, the public and major corporations of the world are now much more aware of their impacts on the environment.

This has been shown by the fact that environmental sustainability is no longer just organisations demonstrating that they are engaging in corporate social responsibility but it now has become a business critique issue too.

A recent survey carried out by B lab UK showed that up to 72% of the British population think that organisations should have a legal responsibility to both the environment and the human population on top of just maximising profits.

What is the covid-19 pandemic’s role in all of this though you may ask? Covid-19 has simply exacerbated and developed this global environmental awareness.

As a result of lock-down procedures, the world has seen a vast reduction in transport and air miles and as a result a more carbon friendly lifestyle has been achieved. Within just a few months from these changes in lifestyle due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we have witnessed vast developments in air quality, water quality and a flourishing of urban wildlife.

Cities such as New York can even boast of a reduction of air pollution by 50% as a result of the restrictions made to the population as a result of the spread of the virus.

So simply put, the virus has highlighted – with media coverage on a global scale – the extent of positive changes on the environment we can achieve as a result of some minor lifestyle changes made on an intensive scale.

The resolution of global warming and environmental destruction cannot be delayed but rather are issues which require immediate attention.

Covid-19 has now set the stage with a global media attention to not only deal with and restrain the virus but also display the positive impacts on the environment that can be achieved from minor changes in lifestyle.

However, this cannot just be merely a temporary trend as a result from covid-19 in order to make progressive progress in environmental sustainability. Simply attending a Zoom meeting rather than taking an international flight to meet clients will not be enough in the long run.

There needs to be a deep transition in lifestyle from the products we buy to the mode of transport we choose to use but most importantly this needs to be done not only over a few months but over a significant period of time in order to be fully effective.

We, as Britons, have discovered this new lifestyle as a result of the pandemic with a cleaner environment and remote working. So why change it and why not continue to develop this change to create a healthier environment for the short, medium and long term? Sky News even reported a poll which showed that only 9% of the British public wanted to go back to pre-pandemic conditions.

The Hideout House Company have always supported the notion that good environmental practices and procedures should be taught to children from an early stage so that an appreciation of a cleaner and healthier planet comes as second nature to them. Positively, this is already happening however and it is interesting to note that the most audible voices of dissent of late have been coming from the younger generation. We consistently try to develop new products which have an environmental educational twist to them – our playground equipment manufactured out of recycled plastic and our renewable energy eco outdoor classrooms to name but a few.