Mossbourne community academy, Hackney, London, E5
About the Project
- Principal designer: Richard Rogers Partnership
- Client: Mossbourne Community Academy
- Principal contractor: Mace
- Principal engineer: Whitbybird
- Contract value: £22.5 million
Mossbourne Community Academy is a successful demonstration of high-quality, low-energy architecture in action.
The v-shaped scheme, sponsored by local businessman Sir Clive Bourne, is located on a triangular site in Hackney, one of England's poorest boroughs, framed by two railways and the start of Hackney Downs.
The scheme includes a specialist ICT (information and communication technology) centre, an out-of-hours brasserie-style restaurant, cyber café and an organic kitchen garden for the school kitchen and local restaurants.
The design team wanted to use tactile materials to get the pupils and community to 'connect' with the school. So it went for a timber frames for the three-storey structure, bookended by a concrete sports hall and auditorium.
It also used rubble from the demolition of the disused school building to stabilize ground conditions, build new roads and landscaping, and reduce landfill and transport requirements.
The Judges said:
"An impressive addition to the city academy programme, this has given the local community in Hackney a visible example of what design quality can mean for education."