“The motivation was to utilise the power of unconventional thinking and apply my own dyslexia to objects to create products which have dyslexia and function better as a result,” Franks told Dezeen.
Confused Hangers can be hung either way round
One of Franks’ products is a coat hanger with two hooks, so it can be hung either way round. “The Confused Coat Hanger wasn’t paying attention when being told which way round it was supposed to be,” Franks explains. “As a result, it has a double-hooked head and can hang either way round when hanging your clothes up.”
Franks’ Poor Memory Pen Pots can hold just two or three pens because they “have a terrible memory due to their dyslexia and can only remember a couple of things at a time,” says Franks. Yet this apparent shortcoming prevents the pot overflowing with items and keeps just a few essential writing tools to hand.
Coaster Plinth, an oversized cork drinks coaster, ended up as an elevated platform rather than a flat disc because it “misread the dimensions it was supposed to be and hasn’t understood the question,” says Franks. Despite the apparent precariousness of a cup placed on top of the plinth, it makes the cup more noticeable so it’s less likely to be spilled.
Franks’ upside down Muglexia mugs
Muglexia, a range of mugs, are inversions of the traditional shape and refer to the way dyslexics invert and flip letters and words when reading. “These three mugs illustrate inversion and as a result are more stable and more balanced in the hand,” Franks explains.
Franks was given the award at the New Designers Part 2 opening ceremony at the Business Design Centre in north London last night.
Franks receives a £1000 cash prize, £1000 worth of advice from intellectual property lawyers Briffa, £2000 worth of advice from accountancy experts Rhodes & Rhodes, and a half day with PR consultancy Four Colman Getty.
Muglexia mugs refer to the flipping around of letters and words and keep drinks hotter
“Henry joyfully combines utility with human behaviour resulting in a clever, well rounded collection, brimming with unique ideas,” said the award judges.
See Henry’s winning design collection on Northumbria University’s stand at New Designers 2013 until 6 July at London’s Business Design Centre.
Coaster Plinth makes a drink more obvious so you’re less likely to spill it over
New Designers is an annual showcase of graduate projects from design schools around the UK. Previous New Design of the Year winners include boiled leather furniture and an extending shelving unit.
News: the shortlist of interior design projects for this year’s Inside Awards has been announced, with Zaha Hadid’s undulating cultural centre in Azerbaijan, a hotel filled with gullies and waterfalls, and Google’s headquarters in Japan all making the list (+ slideshow).
Heydar Aliyev Centre, Azerbaijan by Zaha Hadid Architects
The Inside Awards form part of the biennial Inside Festival, a showcase of international interiors that will take place at the Marina Bay Sands resort in Singpore from 2 to 4 October.
Fat Noodle, Australia by Luchetti Krelle
Shortlisted entries are divided into twelve categories, the winners of which will be announced during the festival. One project from this selection will go on to be crowned World Interior of the Year at a ceremony on 4 October.
Hublot Pop-Up Store, Singapore by Asylum Creative Pte Ltd
As media partners for the event, Dezeen will film a series of interviews with the twelve category winners. Inside Festival will be held in conjunction with the World Architecture Festival for the first time this year.
DPS Kindergarten School, India by Khosla Associates
» Ammo Bar + Restaurant, Hong Kong by WANG » Kaiseki Yoshiyuki + Horse’s Mouth, Singapore by Asylum Creative Pte Ltd » Fat Noodle, Australia by Luchetti Krelle » Jones the Grocer Sydney, Australia by Landini Associates » White Cafe, Thailand by Duangrit Bunnag Architect Limited » 11-11 Club, Turkey by Uras X Dilekci Architects » Zafferano, Singapore by Designphase DBA
Dardanel Administration Building, Turkey by Alatas Architecture and Consulting
Creative Re-use
» Nova Scotia Power Corporate Headquarters, Canada by WZMH Architects » Gowings and State Theatre Buildings restoration and hotel conversion, Australia by Woodhead » Dardanel Administration Building, Turkey by Alatas Architecture & Consulting » IBC Innovation Factory, Denmark by Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects » Good Shepherd Chapel, Australia by Robert Simeoni Pty Ltd Architects
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki, Australia by Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp, FJMY and Archimedia (Architects in Association)
Culture
» Heydar Aliyev Centre, Azerbaijan by Zaha Hadid Architects » Wujin Grand Theatre, Phoenix Valley, Australia by Studio505 Pty Ltd » Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki, New Zealand by Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp, FJMT + Archimedia (Architects in Association) » Louisiana State Museum and Sports Hall of Fame, United States of America by Trahan Architects
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Visitor Center, USA by Olson Kundig Architects
Display
» Hublot Pop-Up Store, Singapore by Asylum Creative Pte Ltd » Black and White Gallery, United Kingdom by CarverHaggard » Hakko Kyoto, Japan by Osamu Morishita Architect & Associates » Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Visitor Center, United States of America by Olson Kundig Architects
Fontys Sports College, Netherlands by Mecanoo Architecten
Education
» Baldivis Secondary College, Australia by JCY Architects and Urban Designers » Victoria University, Learning Spaces of the Future, Australia by BVN Donovan Hill » DPS Kindergarten School, India by Khosla Associates » Fontys Sports College, Netherlands by Mecanoo Architecten
Knowledge Centre, St Olavs Hospital, Norway by Nordic Office of Architecture
Health
» Knowledge Centre, St. Olavs Hospital, Norway by Nordic Office of Architecture » The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Australia by BVN Donovan Hill » Clienia – Lino Castle, Germany by Dan Pearlman Markenarchitektur » Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, United States of America by Perkins+Will
Park Royal on Pickering, Singapore by WOHA
Hotels
» The Beautique Hotels Figueira, Portugal by Atelier Nini Andrade Silva » Macalister Mansion, Singapore by Ministry of Design » 54.2 Tacofino Commissary, Canada by Omer Arbel Office » Hotel Pupp, Italy by Bergmeisterwolf Architekten + Christian Schwienbacher » Park Royal on Pickering, Singapore by WOHA » CitizenM London Bankside, Netherlands by Concrete » Fazenda Boa Vista | SPA, Brazil by Isay Weinfeld
» Clemenger BBDO, Australia by Hassell » Mozilla Factory, Japan by Nosigner » Allen & Overy, Australia by BVN Donovan Hill » Top Time Office, China by Cimax Design Engineering » Citi Private Bank, Singapore by New York Eight » Google Japan, Japan by Klein Dytham Architects » Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC), Shukugawa Branch, Japan by Nikken Space Design » Allens Linklaters, Australia by BVN Donovan Hill
Uxbridge Street, United Kingdom by VW&BS
Residential
» Cube House, Brazil by StudioMK27 » Carrer Avinyó, United Kingdom by David Kohn Architects » The Pinwheel House, Singapore by K2LD Architects » The Green House, Singapore by K2LD Architects » Uxbridge Street, United Kingdom by VW+BS
» Emporia, Sweden by Wingårdh Arkitektkontor AB » Hysan Place, Hong Kong by Kohn Pederson Fox Associates » Sahid Kuta Lifestyle Resort – Beachwalk, Indonesia by PT Enviro Tec Indonesia
» Crumpler Prahran, Australia by Russell & George » Gaurav Gupta Couture, India by Lotus Design Services » Tashya, India by Charged Voids » Oscar & Wild, Australia by Matt Gibson Architecture + Design
» Marina Bay Cruise Centre, Singapore by RSP Architects Planners & Engineers » Barrakka Lift, Malta by Architecture Project » Sydney Cruise Terminal, Australia by Johnson Pilton Walker Architects » NSCBI Airport Kolkata, India by Sikka Associates Architects, RMJM
Design graduate Tanya Shukstelinsky has proposed a new type of affordable urban housing, with people living between two sheets of suspended fabric (+ slideshow).
Shukstelinsky’s Cocoon project features sheets of material with stairs and handholds stitched into them, allowing occupants to move between different living zones.
The result is extremely thin multi-storey dwellings that Shukstelinsky describes as “temporary living spaces for urban nomads”.
“Last year, during one of our studio classes named Cocoon, students were asked to design a private space in a public area,” Shukstelinsky explains.
“I came up with an idea for a space between two stitched layers of fabric. A person who lives in the space can move upon the stitches. The stitches are dividing the fabric into different areas – dining area, sleeping area and bath.”
The concept could be used to create affordable accommodation in expensive urban areas, Shukstelinsky says. “This concept of a vertical and narrow dwelling can be used in dense urban spaces with expensive real estate. Also, integration with modern technologies and smart textiles can provide the minimum we need for temporary accommodation.”
The southernmost tip of Scotland’s Isle of Skye is the setting for this small wooden house by local firm Dualchas Architects (+ slideshow).
The single-storey house was designed by Dualchas Architects as the holiday home for an English family, who have been visting the island for years and wanted a more permanent base.
Unlike the gabled buildings that typify the island’s architectural vernacular, the house has a rectilinear form with large windows and deep alcoves. Larch panels clad each elevation, arranged in horizontal stripes.
“The proportions, massing and siting of this house are derived from traditional forms,” say the architects, explaining how the building manages to fit in with its surroundings. “Despite its obvious abstraction from the local vernacular it remains a house rooted in its place.”
The body of the house is divided into two blocks, with three bedrooms lined up on the rear side, and living and dining rooms running along in front. A bathroom, utility room and entranceway are sandwiched into the space between.
Small patios were added to three sides of the house to catch the light at different times of the day. The largest spans the length of the living room, while the second and third are positioned beside the kitchen and main bedroom.
The living room also sits slightly lower than the rest of the rooms, corresponding with the natural slope of the landscape.
The Singletons had been visiting Skye with their dogs for many years. They love the landscape and positively enjoy the unpredictable weather and choose to eat outdoors in all seasons. They brought to us photographs of their main home in Lancashire which is simple and minimal, a CD of their favourite music and the encouragement to do something different.
The site is at the end of the road at Aird of Sleat. It has a sense of the end of the world, shore access and extraordinary views back to Knoydart, Morar, Ardnamurchan and down the coast to the island of Eigg. There are views on 3 sides and it was decided to tuck the bedrooms behind the main living spaces to enable us to create a terrace from the kitchen for the morning light, a terrace from the dining space for the afternoon light and a terrace off the main bedroom for the evening light.
The design developed into 2 distinct forms with a stepped foundation to give additional height to the main living space and to allow views across the dining space from the kitchen to Eigg beyond the fireplace. This step in the foundation corresponded precisely to the slope in the landscape. The link between the 2 forms houses a utility room and shower room.
The proportions, massing and siting of this house are derived from traditional forms; narrow in span and tight to the ground. It is clad in a skin of narrow larch cladding walls and roof. It fits in to the township settlement pattern and sits quietly in its place on the edge of its world. Despite its obvious abstraction from the local vernacular it remains a house rooted in its place and a direct response to both site and brief.
The architects of Polish studio PL.architekci have created a new studio for themselves inside a disused loft in Poznan (+ slideshow).
Located in the city’s historic quarter, the renovated attic provides PL.architekci with a two-storey workplace featuring exposed timber trusses and white-painted brickwork.
“Nothing in our office is pretending to be anything else,” explain the architects. “What we see is either our modern work or the building’s original construction.”
The steeply sloping roof allowed the architects to insert a mezzanine loft beneath the rafters. A metal staircase leads to the upper level and is attached to a sliding mechanism, so it can be wheeled to a different position if it gets in the way.
Seventeen new windows bring daylight into the attic for the first time, offering a view across the neighbouring rooftops.
White cabinets and bookshelves divide the space into different zones, while additional partitions conceal large-format printers and a kitchen at the centre of the office.
We designed our own studio within a formerly disused attic space in a historic quarter of Poznan. We sought to maximise the space and reveal its character to provide an inspirational working environment whilst allowing our clients to experience our style of architecture and design.
The attics original wooden rafters have been expressed by designing a physical separation between themselves and new divisions within the space.
This separation is emphasised by introducing flush white walls, cabinetry and office furniture creating a clear contrast between the old and new.
We introduced 17 windows to provide the previously dark attic with a world of natural light and view of the neighbourhood beyond the rooftops.
A second level storage area is accessible by a sliding steel staircase that can be moved aside when not in use.
Nothing in our office is pretending to be anything else; what we see is either our modern work or the building’s original construction. Just the way we like it!
A grand top-lit atrium forms an entrance to concerts, recitals and classrooms at this music school in Manchester by local architects Stephenson: ISA Studio (+ slideshow).
As part of Chetham’s School of Music, the new building by Stephenson: ISA Studio is constructed alongside the school’s existing medieval quadrangle to provide it with a 350-seat concert hall and a 100-seat recital hall, as well as additional classrooms and practice rooms.
The foyer occupies a triangular triple-height space at the centre of the building. Six huge fins stretch across the ceiling, moderating daylight flooding in from above.
Mezzanine corridors lead into classrooms and practice rooms, which are lined with timber slats to improve acoustics. The main auditorium is currently an empty shell and will be fitted out once the school secures extra funding.
The building has an exterior of red brick, designed to fit in with the industrial architecture of the city.
Strip windows wrap the curved corners of the structure, while protruding lintels form strong horizontal stripes.
“The form of the building reflects the fluid forms of musical instruments,” says the studio. “The elevations are expressed horizontally and are influenced by the musical stave and pianola.”
The ground floor comprises a three-tiered split level, allowing the building to amble down its sloping site. The entrance and foyer are positioned on the middle level, while performance areas are set below and classrooms sit above.
A bridge links the new spaces with the existing campus to the south. There’s also a cantilever in one corner to avoid a river that cuts across the corner of the site.
Here’s some more information from Stephenson: ISA Studio:
Chetham’s School of Music
Chetham’s School of Music is the largest world class music school in the UK and is unique to the region. The existing medieval building contains the first public library in England, which boats amongst its’ scholars Karl Marx and is an architectural gem. It is currently not readily accessible to the public and one of the main design principles was to create a dialogue between the existing buildings, the new school and its wider context.
The musical heart of the school is in a building which is no longer fit for purpose and the school has outgrown its current building provision for teaching and learning through its increased success and profile.
Our brief was to create a unique contemporary new building for the musical and academic teaching facilities, providing a state-of-the-art environment which will be a fitting platform for the students. A public auditorium will allow Chetham’s students to display their talents to the public. The building itself will provide an iconic opportunity for the educational and cultural standing of Manchester to consolidate its position on the international scene.
Architectural Response
The site varies in elevation by approximately 6m from the bottom of Walkers Croft to Victoria Station Approach. We propose to use the height difference as a datum to reinforce the diversity of the buildings’ programme. The performance spaces and their associated service spaces are located below the datum whilst the music and academic classroom accommodation is placed above the datum. The main public entrance, foyer and ensemble rooms are located on the datum itself. A new bridge link allows daily secure access for the staff and pupils from the existing school campus to the south.
The building is conceived as a carved solid, rising from the south adjacent the grade 1 medieval building, to a fulcrum above the main entrance to the north. The form of the building reflects the fluid forms of musical instruments and the island nature of the site. The elevations are expressed horizontally and are influenced by the musical stave and pianola.
Many challenges of the site have influenced the form and structure of the building. The river Irk runs in a culvert along the route of Walkers Croft and cuts across the site at the south western corner requiring the upper floors of the music school to cantilever substantially at this point. Due to the city centre location and the sensitive acoustic requirements of the music teaching and performance spaces most of the internal rooms are independent floating boxes. The Concert Hall has a complete independent internal structure floating on springs.
This is a project that sits at the core of the ambitions of the Manchester city region, which is looking to preserve and enhance its unique assets for the long-term benefit of its people.
More showers! These hybrid shower-lights were created by Japanese designers Nendo for bathroom brand Axor and unveiled last week alongside the multi-headed shower by Front (+ slideshow).
Nendo’s installation combines showers with lamps, with the installation featuring ceiling lights and a floor light that produce a cascade of water from their shades.
“My aim was to combine what is most archetypal about the living space, the lighting, with water, so as to give the shower an enhanced sensuous dimension in a way we have not yet seen before,” says Oki Sato of Nendo. “The result is something that is not just a shower, nor just a lamp, but a hybrid – a magic trick with light and water that is available day after day.”
The installation is part of Axor’s WaterDream project, which investigates potential future bathroom scenarios.
“The natural coming-together of light and water is freed from spatial constraints,” says Philippe Grohe, head of Axor, which is part of German bathroom brand Hansgrohe. “What traditionally took place in separate rooms – reading under a lamp in the living room, taking a shower in the bathroom – can now be experienced free from spatial allocations or confinements.”
Swedish design trio Front have created a giant, three-headed shower installation constructed from a maze of standard copper pipes (+ slideshow).
Sofia Lagerkvist, Charlotte von der Lancken and Anna Lindgren of Front created the WaterDream installation for bathroom brand Axor as part of a project to explore the future of the bathroom.
Rather than propose a high-tech solution, the designers decided to expose the copper pipework that is usually hidden from view. “We used our personal perception of the shower and showering to draw attention to the technology behind the wall, which is often concealed,” explains Charlotte von der Lancken.
“We played around with the most elementary components that are used to bring water to us – pipes, valves, couplings, and funnels,” added Front’s Sofia Lagerkvist.
Philippe Grohe, head of Axor and the grandson of the founder of parent company Hansgrohe, said: “Front show how something that is normally hidden from view can become a visually appealing and valued spatial construct.”
The installation was unveiled last week at Axor’s headquarters at Schiltach in the Black Forest, Germany, along with a second shower-light installation by Japanese designers Nendo.
Here’s the full press release from Hansgrohe:
Axor presents new “WaterDream” with Front and Nendo. Re-thinking the shower – the search for a new archetype.
For 20 years now, Axor, the designer brand of Hansgrohe SE has been developing alternative visions for the bathroom as a living space. “In this regard, the focus is not primarily on the products, but on providing additional scope for creative development, for breaking down established behavior patterns, and for conducting an open, interdisciplinary dialogue,” says Philippe Grohe, Head of the Axor brand. Axor continuously engages in this dialogue with various internationally renowned design partners, which from now on also include the Swedish design trio Front, and the Japanese design studio Nendo. Following on the heels of Phoenix Design, Jean-Marie Massaud, Patricia Urquiola and the Bouroullec brothers, Front and Nendo now present their own personal Axor WaterDream. “Within our overall understanding of the use of space, the interaction with water, and the multifaceted individual needs of people, we focused specifically on the shower this time, interpreting it anew with Front and Nendo,” Philippe Grohe, the grandson of the company’s founder Hans Grohe, explains.
Living and showering: back to the origins
The invitation to re-think the shower produced two installations that couldn’t be more different from each other: whereas Nendo draws inspiration from an emotional living space outside of the bathroom, Front explores the technical origins of the water installation. Despite operating within different cultural contexts, the visions developed by the two design studios have one thing in common. Both present new archetypes in a charming and captivating manner: light and water pathways are re-interpreted in surprising and unconventional ways, and long-established functional and spatial separations between the living and bathroom spheres are challenged.
Front: a visual appreciation of water pathways
The Axor WaterDream created by Sofia Lagerkvist, Charlotte von der Lancken and Anna Lindgren allows us to experience the path water takes in its most original form. “Front show how something that is normally hidden from view can become a visually appealing and valued spatial construct,” says Philippe Grohe. “We used our personal perception of the shower and showering to draw attention to the technology behind the wall, which is often concealed,” explains Charlotte von der Lancken. “It was important for us to foster an awareness of what is the most archetypal aspect of the bathroom – the installation itself.” “For this reason, we played around with the most elementary components that are used to bring water to us – pipes, valves, couplings, and funnels,” adds Sofia Lagerkvist. With a simplicity that is characteristic of Scandinavian design, Front present their Axor WaterDream as an homage to artisanry and to the aesthetics inherent in technology and installation.
Axor, the designer brand of Hansgrohe SE, successfully realises “Designer Visions for Your Bathroom”. In cooperation with Axor, leading product designers, architects and interior designers develop their vision for the bathroom as a living space. The Axor collections offer a great number of unique and sustainable solutions to create personalised bathrooms of the highest aesthetic and technological levels. To date, Axor design partners include Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, Antonio Citterio, Front, Jean-Marie Massaud, Nendo, Phoenix Design, Philippe Starck, and Patricia Urquiola. They all contribute towards making life in and around the bathroom a little more meaningful and beautiful. The Axor brand is headed by Philippe Grohe, grandson of the company’s founder Hans Grohe.
A long white staircase leads straight to the top floor of this small house in Tokyo by Japanese office Apollo Architects & Associates.
The two-storey house accommodates both a family home and a photographer’s studio, so Apollo Architects & Associates designed a building that can be split into two when necessary.
The lower level contains the studio and a bedroom, while the upper floor houses an open-plan living room and kitchen. A ladder also leads up from here to a mezzanine loft, which can function as a guest bedroom or children’s playroom.
The house has an asymmetric profile, created by a lopsided roof. Clerestory windows run along the steepest edge of this roof to bring in light without overlooking the neighbours.
“An unblocked sky view from the skylight has the effect of making one forget that the house is in a densely populated residential area,” explain the architects.
The gently sloping staircase forms the house’s main entrance, leading up beside an angled wall to meet the first-floor balcony. “[The stairs] function as a novelty to invite visitors,” say the architects.
A small patio is sheltered below and can be used as a direct entrance to the photography studio.
Here’s a project description from Apollo Architects & Associates:
Arrow
This SOHO house is built on a portion of the lot of the owner’s parents’ house. Part of the first floor is used as a photo studio, and the living spaces are made on the second floor where the entrance is located. Since the divided lot is long and narrow, an exterior design was required that utilises the depth of the approach while considering the distance from and contrast with the main house.
By employing an open style with glass walls for the photo studio facade on the first floor, an intermediate space, albeit small, is unified with the exterior and brings comfort.
The shallow sloped approach-stairs to the second floor entrance nicely match the sharp inclined wall and constitute the characteristic facade, and as a result they function as a novelty to invite visitors. The pitched roof formed by the regulation on the north side creates a unique exterior and interior appearance. Light from the slit-shaped skylight on the peak of the roof casts dramatic shadows in the entirely white-coloured room. An unblocked sky view from the skylight also has the effect of making one forget that the house is in a densely populated residential area.
The second floor is an open one-room space, including the loft space that is accessed by a ladder, and can be used for multiple purposes. The rhythmic continuation of the “diagonal” elements, which are glimpsed in many spaces, creates a comfortable unease in the room.
One of the characteristics of this house is the non-existence of a clear border between ON/OFF, since the living space, where one can play with a variety of natural lights, is used as a space for taking photos.
Architecture: Satoshi Kurosaki/APOLLO Architects & Associates Location: Shinagawa ward Tokyo Date of Completion: March 2013 Principal Use: Private Housing Structure: Steel Framing
Site Area: 118.36m2 Building Area: 46.43m2 Total Floor Area: 84.22m2 (42.11m2/1F, 42.11m2/2F) Structural Engineer: Kenta Masaki Mechanical Engineer: Zenei Shimada
London studio AY Architects has constructed a small wooden nursery in a public garden in Camden. Scroll down to see a pair of cute axonometric drawings (+ slideshow).
The Montpelier Community Nursery provides affordable day care for children between the ages of two and five, so AY Architects had to design a building that would be inexpensive to both build and run.
The architects designed three large skylights to maximise natural lighting, then angled them across the roof to a north and south orientation.
“The building is more or less located on the footprint of the previous nursery building in order to not disturb the existing beautiful garden,” architect Yeoryia Manolopoulou told Dezeen. “We then decided to sculpt the roof diagonally so that we could get better daylight.”
The building has an all-timber construction, with slender columns both inside and outside. White-washed timber panels were used to build the walls and roof, while the exterior is clad with black-stained larch decking.
Floor-to ceiling windows stretch along the north-west elevation to allow the playroom to open out to an enclosed garden playground. There’s also a projecting canopy to permit sheltered outdoor activities.
“The design of the new building takes its inspiration from the unique setting within the public gardens,” say the architects. “Indoor-outdoor play is central to the design concept and the garden environment is considered central to the children’s learning experience.”
Tucked away within Montpelier Gardens in Kentish Town London and surrounded by the rear of terrace houses, the new building is planned around a central flexible playspace that generously opens out to a garden of mature trees. Indoor-outdoor play, children’s learning through nature, the experience of a wonderful bright and airy space, and the architects’ continual engagement with parents, staff, children and the local community are central to the success of this project.
The nursery is a registered charity and voluntary organisation, providing the most affordable childcare for 2-5 yrs old available in Camden. Its size and low-budget limits did not prevent the architects from creating an imaginative and highly poetic space.
The nursery had been operating from a dilapidated and unsafe portakabin with a lifespan of only 15 years, originally built in 1983. AY Architects initiated a proposal for its demolition and replacement with a new building in an effort to secure affordable childcare and a sustainable building for the community for the long term. They worked closely with the neighborhood in their mutiple roles as local architects, former parents, trustees and voluntary members of the nursery’s management team. In January 2009 they coordinated a successful application for a Capital Grant which would cover the project’s costs and pursuaded London Borough Camden to give full support to their initiative.
The brief was for a larger and environmental friendly facility that could provide an increase from 18 to 24 nursery places. The footprint increased from 90 to 130m2.
The design of the new building takes its inspiration from the unique setting within the public gardens. It is planned around a large flexible playspace that generously opens out to the external green space distinguished by a concentration of mature trees. Indoor-outdoor play is central to the design concept and the garden environment is considered central to the children’s learning experience.
The superstructure is made up of cross-laminated timber panels with an exposed internal white wash finish. The exterior of the building is clad with ebony-stained fsc siberian larch decking to give the building a robust skin. The dark exterior allows the building to sit contently within the park and amongst the trees trunks.
A series of glue-laminated timber columns echoes the verticallity of the surrounding trees while the roof is designed to maximise daylight and allow natural ventilation. Three strip windows with north-south orientation span the plan diagonally. The orientation of the openings welcomes the sun to enter the building when it is low to take advantage of solar gain in colder months, while large overhangs block out the sun when it is hot to prevent overheating. The larger north-facing roof window brings in an abundance of daylight and facilitates cross ventilation.
The south wall of the main playspace includes a large window and shutter looking directly onto the public gardens, and also offers a slender low bench to be used by the neighbours. In this way the nursery gains a greater level of interaction with the community, contributing to a safer and more enjoyable green space.
The nursery is designed as an energy efficient building in operation and low carbon in construction. A mixed sedum blanket forms the roof finish, contributing to local biodiversity and water retention.
The building recently won an RIBA London Regional Award 2013 and an RIBA National Award 2013. It is listed among 52 buildings across the UK and Europe, competing for further special RIBA awards, including the Stephen Lawrence Prize and the Stirling Prize. It is one of 13 buildings in London competing for these awards.
Funding award: Early Years Capital Grant £476,000 Project Budget: £476,000 Area: 136m2 internal gross Architects: AY Architects Structural engineer: Price & Myers Low carbon consulting engineers: King Shaw Associates Main contractor: Forest Gate Construction Ltd Timber subcontractor: KLH UK
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