Kew Gardens breaks ground on state-of-the-art Shafran Learning Centre

22 August 2025 – This week, volunteers, community participants, families, constructors and Kew Gardens staff officially broke ground on the construction of Kew’s pioneering Shafran Learning Centre, marking the beginning of an exciting new chapter in Kew’s commitment to education and sustainability. Designed to inspire and educate a diverse range of audiences, the Shafran Learning Centre will enhance Kew’s educational offerings both on-site, and remotely through live-streamed lessons on plant and fungal science.

The Shafran Learning Centre will be Kew’s first net-zero educational building and will be constructed to Passivhaus standards, one of the world’s leading low-energy building design benchmarks. This cutting-edge facility will support Kew’s sustainability goals while providing a dynamic environment for learning. Made from a Cross Laminated Timber frame - which continues to lock in carbon - and charred finish Accoya weatherboarding, the roofs will feature a mixture of green and standing seams to harvest rainwater for flushing toilets and irrigation.  The building will set a new precedent for eco-friendly educational spaces.

Catering to a broad spectrum of learners, including early years, school pupils, teachers, adults, and community groups, the Shafran Learning Centre aligns with Kew’s Manifesto for Change – a key focus of which is to inspire the next generation. The climate and nature crises are among the most pressing challenges facing today’s young people and it is vital we support them with knowledge, skills and attitudes to address them. It is also essential that more young people take up careers in plant science, mycology, and horticulture, and by increasing engagement with secondary school students we will encourage them to explore green career paths. 

Equipped with state-of-the-art education labs, lecture theatres, and classrooms, the Shafran Learning Centre will provide a dedicated space for learning and professional development. Over the next five years, Kew aims to train 3,600 teachers, ensuring the reach of its educational mission extends far beyond the Gardens. Additionally, the Centre hopes to serve as a hub for weekend science and gardening clubs for young children and families, creative writing workshops for community groups, and events. The expanded facilities will also allow Kew to broaden its Short Course offerings in horticulture, botanical art, and garden design, while introducing new initiatives such as family science clubs.

Julia Willison, Director of Learning & Participation at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, expressed her enthusiasm: “We’re excited to welcome people to this amazing building that will offer outstanding educational experiences for all.  This is Kew’s first ever Learning Centre and will signal a step change in how we engage people in learning about plant and fungal science and how we can work towards managing the Earth’s resources more sustainably.”

The Shafran Learning Centre is expected to open in October 2026. Construction is being led by Kew’s Capital Projects Team.

The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew are delighted to be naming the Shafran Learning Centre to recognise the generosity of Jake and Hélène Marie Shafran, and their support of Kew’s education and engagement work. They would like to thank the following for their generous support of the Shafran Learning Centre:

Jake and Hélène Marie Shafran, Kusuma Trust, The Foundation and Friends of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the estate of Gweslan Lloyd, Sarah Fransen, J & R Savery, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), Steve and Claire Almond, the estate of Barbara Rowe, Swire Charitable Trust, The Winslow Family, and all other donors including those who have chosen to remain anonymous.

We are still welcoming donations towards this vital project. To discuss how you can support it, please contact 020 8332 3246 or development@kew.org.

ENDS

Notes to Editors 

For more information, please contact pr@kew.org

For images, please download here: https://we.tl/t-Oe2dy3JEu3