Damai Primary School

Aspiring to be a school in a garden rather than a garden in a school, Damai Primary School is passionate about sustainability and holistic learning.

The 150sqm edible garden on the school's rooftop provides an opportunity for learning and engagement amongst the young students.

The build was accompanied by the Uplift! Programme, which taught therapeutic horticulture strategies to teachers and guided both students and teachers on how to care for, identify, and harvest plants.

The garden was designed around the existing winding concrete pathway, utilised sustainable composite wood in its structures, and integrated pre-existing edible plants in its design. Brightly-coloured edible flowers, such as the Butterfly Blue Pea and Honolulu Creeper, as well as beautiful Torch Ginger plants, provide a stunning view.

Meanwhile, herbs such as Lemongrass, Thai Basil, and Rosemary create a medley of scents. The sense of touch is not forgotten as different types of leafy greens and fruiting vegetables, such as Brazilian Spinach, Wild Watercress, and Okra offer different textures to explore.

Overall, not only is the garden a multi-sensorial experience for the curious child, but it can be used in hands-on learning activities.

The Uplift! Programme’s goal was to improve the lives of both teachers and students through gardening. Our first session was “train-the-trainer”, where we taught teachers the social and personal wellness benefits of gardening, and how to design engaging gardening courses. The remaining 10 sessions were conducted to teach both students and teachers alike how to identify, care for and harvest plants.

This build and programme for Damai Primary School is supported by Lam Soon Singapore.