Rooftop Wellbeing Garden Completed at Halcyon School
- Feb 27
- 2 min read
Updated: Mar 17
NOOMA Studio has transformed a previously underused rooftop terrace into a biodiverse wellbeing garden, providing students and staff with a calm, outdoor learning and gathering space that connects people with nature in central London.
NOOMA Studio has completed a rooftop wellbeing garden for Halcyon London International School in Marylebone, transforming a previously underused listed terrace into a calm, biodiverse environment for learning, reflection and connection with nature. Delivered within nine months and located within the Portman Estate Conservation Area, the project demonstrates how existing buildings can be adapted to support wellbeing while respecting heritage constraints and operational ambition.
The terrace has been designed as an integral extension of the school’s learning environment. It offers students and staff a calm, sensory landscape where teaching, reflection and informal gathering can take place outdoors. Intended for daily use, the space supports concentration and wellbeing while embedding contact with nature into the rhythm of school life.
The garden unfolds as a sequence of distinct but connected spaces. Biodiverse planting attracts birds and pollinators, reinforcing ecological awareness within a dense urban setting. The garden includes areas where students can cultivate plants directly, encouraging, encouraging responsibility and shared care. Integrated seating at varied heights supports different modes of gathering and observation, while an amphitheatre provides space for outdoor lessons, small performances, yoga and informal assemblies. The layout accommodates both individual and collective activities, ensuring flexibility across the school day.
Set above a roofscape of red brick façades and terracotta chimneys, the terrace occupies a sensitive heritage context. Working within the constraints of a listed building, the design adopts a light-touch and largely non-permanent approach that protects the historic fabric while introducing contemporary landscape elements. Interventions were carefully developed to be adaptable, durable and visually complementary to the existing building.
A new perforated metal boundary fence provides essential safety at roof level while remaining discreet and mitigating overlooking. Lightweight construction strategies addressed strict structural limits, and planting was designed to feel generous despite shallow soil depths. Each element was coordinated to balance safety, performance and visual calm, allowing the character of the original building to remain legible.
In central London, access to meaningful outdoor space is rare. The rooftop garden significantly strengthens the school’s offer by providing a dedicated external environment within a dense urban context. By reimagining the existing rooftop rather than expanding the building footprint, NOOMA enabled the school to unlock valuable additional space for teaching, events and informal use, enhancing both the student experience and the long-term value of the site.
Completed in alignment with the academic calendar, the project required close collaboration between designers, engineers, contractors and planners. The finished garden demonstrates how careful adaptation, technical precision and considered design can transform overlooked space into lasting value — for students, for heritage buildings and for schools in dense urban areas with limited dedicated outdoor space.
