Out of the frying pan and into the fire

The Corridor Before 

The classroom to be turned
 into the library

You know those big moments in life?  Pivotal moments that change who you are. Moments like swimming for the first time without armbands or riding your bike without stabilisers. Moments that make you uncertain and unsure of all you learnt before. That one chance to see if you will sink or swim.

Well I had such a moment during my placement at Ken Rand Partners. An enquiry from St. Osmunds Primary School for the conversion of an existing classroom into a library and a corridor refurbishment to make it a learning space as well as a thoroughfare. This was my chance.

Plan for the new corridor

Plan for the new library

A chance to show that I could create a design proposal that would win us the project through the tendering process. A chance to try my hand at carrying the project through the costing stages and site meetings with the school to ensure the design met the brief as much as possible. A chance to turn my design into reality.

Sketchup 3D rendering
 of the corridor

All this may not sound like one of those training wheels are off moments. You may be saying, "Well that’s what interior designers do."

Sketchup 3D rendering
of the library

Well you would be right but that was not the daunting part for me. My pivotal moment came when the entire project was entrusted to me, the placement student.

Everything from creating the detail drawings, that were needed to construct some of the furniture, to making sure the project was running smoothly and according to the time plan that was created with the help of our building contractors and suppliers.

The new corridor as
 of my last site visit

The new library, nearing completion

 Well as you can imagine this was all a little bit intimidating, to a not yet graduated interior designer. All my work up until that moment, especially the work that I had done earlier in my placement, was leading up to this moment. Training and preparing me. But did I trust it enough? Did I have enough self-confidence? Was I about to succeed or fail?

Just like when I learnt to ride my bike there were a few wobbly bits in my overall running of the project however with the watchful eye of the office team and help when I needed it the project progressed efficiently and nearly according to plan.

The new corridor aka
the learning alley

The new library, just the
 finishing touches left

During my final site visit to the school before I had to return to university. The staff that I spoke to seem to be really happy with the results so far and I hope when all the finishing touches are in place, it will be deemed a successful project that met their brief, in an aesthetically pleasing manner.

I also hope that all the pupils returning to that school and joining it anew will thoroughly enjoy the space and use it to its full potential.