Key Points

• The Clearing, an outdoor education space within Lesnes Abbey Woods in Bexley, has won the RIBA London Award 2025
• The project opened in 2024 and was designed by architecture studio WonKy using reclaimed materials including a shipping container and military parachute
• Susie Le Good, London jury chair for the RIBA Awards, praised the space’s “profound impact” despite its modest scale
• Bexley cabinet member Rags Sandhu highlighted the project’s success as rooted in collaboration with partners and volunteers
• The Clearing serves conservation groups including Creative Nature HQ, North West Kent Countryside Partnership, Lore of the Wild, and Woodland Whisperers
• Activities range from homeschool and special educational needs sessions to traditional crafts like willow weaving and spoon carving
• The building is wheelchair accessible, connects to an existing public footpath, and functions off-grid with battery power
• The RIBA Awards have been presented annually across the UK since 1966, honouring schemes combining technical/design excellence with social/environmental value

Bexley (South London News) June 8, 2026, an outdoor education space in Bexley has won a regional Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) award, marking a significant recognition for community-focused architecture in South East London.

The Clearing, set within Lesnes Abbey Woods, was awarded the RIBA London Award and was recognised specifically for its impact on the local community. The project, which opened in 2024, offers volunteers, children, and families access to nature through outdoor activity, environmental learning, and community programmes.

Susie Le Good, London jury chair for the RIBA Awards, stated:

“Though modest in scale, the jury were impressed by the profound impact The Clearing has had – providing an inspiring space”.

This comment highlights how the jury prioritised social value over building size in their evaluation.

The result was hailed by Bexley cabinet member for environment, culture and leisure Rags Sandhu, who said:

“The project’s success is deeply rooted in collaboration, and we are incredibly grateful to our partners and volunteers for their hard work in creating a truly exceptional hub where heritage, sustainability and education come together”.

How did WonKy architecture studio create The Clearing using reclaimed materials?

According to Dezeen’s report from June 22, 2024, local studio WonKy designed The Clearing to function as “an all-weather space” and constructed it with a palette of reclaimed materials.

The main building is formed of an old shipping container with rusty facades, intended to blend into the woodland, while a decommissioned silk parachute is used as a large shelter. WonKy said that embracing these reclaimed materials

“maximised the budget and minimised the project’s carbon footprint”

– a strategy that reflects the wider ambition of the studio.

Studio co-founder Lefkos Kyriacou explained:

“We pride ourselves on being resourceful and making the most of a client’s budget, and are always looking at ways of re-use and recycling”.

Regarding the shipping container, Kyriacou continued:

“Whilst visiting a farm for a different project we noticed the client had spare shipping containers, so we asked them if they would like to donate one to a good cause”.

The Ministry of Defence provided the parachute, which Kyriacou described as

“the most elegant and functional of items – lightweight, relatively waterproof, and an inexpensive way of creating a large outdoor shelter”.

WonKy created The Clearing on a site within the 217-acre woodland that was

“previously disturbed and of low ecological value”,

minimising further damage to the wood. It connects to an existing public footpath and is designed to be wheelchair accessible.

What community programmes and activities take place at The Clearing in Lesnes Abbey Woods?

As reported on the Lesnes Abbey Woods website in September 2024, Creative Nature HQ have officially moved into The Clearing, providing plenty of opportunities for people to get involved with woodland crafts.

The Clearing serves as a base for conservation groups and community programmes, including Creative Nature HQ, North West Kent Countryside Partnership, Lore of the Wild, and Woodland Whisperers.

Activities hosted at the site range from homeschool and special educational needs sessions to traditional crafts such as willow weaving and spoon carving.

According to the woodland crafts workshops page, visitors can learn how to make their own wooden bowl, whittle, create their own spoon or learn to willow weave, with many courses available. People can also become a Forest Club Volunteer, with sessions run every Thursday.

The Clearing is nearly complete construction report from March 27, 2024, revealed that the space includes outdoor education space with retractable parachute to provide shelter, wood store, small indoor classroom, small performance area and drying loft for the parachute.

The site was working in partnership with Bexley Early Year’s Team and North West Kent Countryside Partnership to develop a new outdoor curriculum for Reception and Nursery aged children that encourages young children to explore the natural environment.

Why does The Clearing’s RIBA London Award recognition matter for Bexley’s environmental education?

The RIBA Awards are presented annually across the UK, honouring schemes that combine technical and design excellence with social or environmental value. Presenting since 1966, the RIBA Awards set the standard for great architecture across the UK.

The RIBA Awards 2025 were announced at a ceremony on May 13, 2025, at which Tower Hamlets Town Hall was named as winner of RIBA London Building of the Year Award 2025. The 38 projects were selected by an expert jury who visited all shortlisted projects.

RIBA Regional Director of London John Nahar said:

“Congratulations to all our RIBA London Award winners. Spanning every corner of the capital, this year’s selection is a breathtaking display of variety, creativity, and purpose”.

He noted that

“These projects tackle some of the most pressing challenges we face today – from affordable housing and social isolation to the environment and the need for retrofit and reuse”.

The council and the team at Lesnes Abbey Woods look forward to continuing their support for the vital volunteers and organisations who utilise this fantastic resource, according to Rags Sandhu. He added:

“The council and the team at Lesnes Abbey Woods look forward to continuing our support for the vital volunteers and organisations who utilise this fantastic resource”.

What makes The Clearing’s architectural design both iconic and environmentally sustainable?

As detailed by Dezeen, the main building features a stage-like deck, a meeting room, a storeroom and a square tower. Elements built from the steel container have been sandblasted to help them weather and develop a rust-red protective coating, with new elements clad in matching Corten.

The defining feature is its tower, which contains equipment for monitoring birdsong but is primarily used to store and dry the parachute, taking cues from the fishing net lofts in the town of Hastings. It was lined internally with plywood and crowned by a “lantern” made from translucent glass-reinforced plastic.

Co-founder Wai-Piu Wong explained:

“The fishing net lofts or ‘shops’ of Hastings were developed in the 19th century by local fishermen to stow and dry gear made from natural materials like canvas sails, hemp rope and cotton nets”.

The client body, led by Lindsey Weaver, strongly desired the new building to capture the imagination of young naturalists who would come to learn about nature in the woodland. Wong continued: “We also felt it was an opportunity to be iconic and totemic, much like the majestic trees that are also reaching for the sky”.

The adjoining storeroom contains a space to store the centre’s woodworking tools overnight and incorporates a low concrete bench around its edges. Alongside the main building is the site for the parachute shelter, which is designed to be set up as a 50-square-metre teaching space when required.

The Clearing functions off the grid, using a battery pack for power that is charged at a nearby visitor centre, with plans to install photovoltaics for electricity. Future plans also include creating a rainwater collection and filtering system for volunteers.

Explore More Bexley News

Bexley 2026 Elections: Parties’ Pledges vs Reform Threat

Could Reform UK Shatter Bexley’s Tory Heartland? Farage Launches Bexley, 2026

Background of the Development

The Clearing was built on a former goods yard and forester compound that had been disused since the 1970s. The site chosen was previously disturbed and of low ecological value, which was considered the best location to minimise the ecological impact of a new building.

The project connects to an existing public footpath within the 217-acre Lesnes Abbey Woods woodland. The London Borough of Bexley served as the client, with Gransden Construction Ltd as the main contractor. Creative Nature HQ & Lesnes Abbey Wood Volunteers handled the woodwork, while Engineers HRW provided structural engineering.

The Clearing officially opened in 2024 after construction that worked through “the wettest winter” according to Lesnes Abbey Woods. The architects WonKy created a unique design that the client body strongly desired to capture young naturalists’ imagination.

Prediction: How This Development Can affect Local Communities and Environmental Educators

This RIBA-recognised development can affect local Bexley residents, particularly families with children, by providing expanded access to outdoor environmental education in an accessible, all-weather space. The wheelchair-accessible design ensures children and adults with mobility challenges can participate in woodland crafts and nature learning.

For homeschool educators and special educational needs providers, The Clearing offers a dedicated outdoor classroom with specialised facilities including a 50-square-metre parachute shelter for teaching. The site’s partnership with Bexley Early Year’s Team means Reception and Nursery aged children will benefit from structured outdoor curriculum experiences.

Conservation groups including Creative Nature HQ, North West Kent Countryside Partnership, Lore of the Wild, and Woodland Whisperers can now operate from a permanent base with proper storage for tools and equipment. The off-grid battery power system and planned photovoltaics provide sustainable energy for workshops.

Volunteers involved in woodland crafts, willow weaving, spoon carving, and Forest Club sessions gain access to purpose-built facilities including a stage-like deck for demonstrations, meeting rooms, and drying loft for the parachute.

The Thursday Forest Club Volunteer sessions can now operate in better weather conditions thanks to the all-weather design.

Local schools in Bexley can utilise The Clearing as an outdoor classroom, giving children direct access to nature education within the 217-acre woodland. The site’s connection to existing public footpaths means families can easily reach the educational space without needing specialised transport.

The RIBA recognition validates the project’s approach to using reclaimed materials, which may inspire similar budget-conscious, low-carbon environmental education projects across London. As John Nahar noted, this project tackles environmental challenges through retrofit and reuse.