Commission for a new 'creative environment' and the "hub" of the Children's Centre network
Client: London Borough of Islington
Gross Area: 470 m2
Cost: £1.1m
Dates: 2004-2006
The objective of the brief was to provide a new welcoming and stimulating 'creative environment' for the further establishment of Children's Centre services at the Archway Early Years Centre, the "hub" of the Children's Centre network for this area.
A team of professional consultants led by Kay Hartmann Architects was selected through a competitive process to design and manage the construction of the scheme. The design includes a range of flexible multi purpose rooms to enable parent/ child / childminder drop-ins, group activities, healthcare and ante-natal classes, 'surgeries' for Jobcentre Plus/training providers, welfare rights, etc.
The new scheme creates courtyards, entrances and pathways and consequently allows the design to respond to the contextual relationship of the site.
The building is designed to a high sustainable standard with highly insulated prefabricated, low embodied energy solid timber panel construction. The timber superstructure was erected in 10 working days.
New London Architecture 07: Archway Children's Centre, NLA project directory
The Royal Society of Arts Journal 12/06 pg 30-35: Archway Children's Centre, Building School Success
Nursery World 02/11/06 pg 6: Archway Children's Centre
Islington press office 16/10/06, : Archway Children's Centre, Archway Children's Centre leads the way
Baunetz 02/10/06, : Archway Children's Centre, Extrudiert, gestaucht und verschoben...
photographer: Edmund Sumner