Woodleigh School,
The Futures Centre

Woodleigh School has reaffirmed its commitment to sustainability and regenerative learning with the completion of its groundbreaking Futures Studio, a space designed to foster creativity, collaboration, and environmental consciousness. A key material choice in this innovative project was Durra Panel, used in lieu of traditional plaster for the walls and ceilings to align with the school’s values of sustainable and regenerative education.

In collaboration with renowned sustainable designer and advocate Joost Bakker and architect Frank Burridge, Durra Panel was seamlessly integrated throughout the build—internally, it was screw-fixed to the ceilings and walls and finished with low-VOC paint, while externally, it was clad and sealed with a cork spray. All off-cuts were mulched and spread across the school’s gardens, reinforcing the school’s commitment to non-toxic, environmentally friendly materials and demonstrating Durra Panel’s full cradle-to-cradle life cycle. By integrating natural materials into the built environment, the Future Studio fosters well-being, reduces stress, and enhances creativity, serving as a model biophilic learning space.

To achieve this vision, the project adhered to the Living Building Institute’s Red List, meaning that materials containing harmful chemicals were consciously avoided. Durra Panel, made from compressed wheat straw, aligns perfectly with this ethos, offering a fully recyclable, non-toxic, and carbon-storing solution for sustainable construction having recently received the Living Building Institute’s Declare Label.

This globally acknowledged certification highlights Durra Panel’s commitment to transparency, sustainability, and environmental responsibility. As a product that actively stores carbon, is free of harmful chemicals, and contributes to healthy indoor air quality, Durra Panel continues to set the benchmark for responsible building materials.

Collaborators: Woodleigh School, Main Studio, Joost Bakker, SEBS, Frank Burridge