Hackney School of Food by Surman Weston
Extract from the AJ Retrofit Awards site:
“This project, ‘a standout winner’ for the judges, is a joint venture between the Chefs in Schools charity and a federation of three Hackney primary schools. Sited at one of these, Mandeville Primary School, it consists of the conversion of a disused caretaker’s house into an educational kitchen for children and adults.
Hackney School of Food by Surman Weston. Copyright Jim Stephenson 2020
Around this, a previously underused part of the school grounds has been turned into productive gardens with outdoor cooking and eating spaces, providing a new community space for local residents to enjoy.
The judges praised the scheme for being ‘refreshingly simple and modest while not afraid to make brave, bold moves, such as removing a floor’ or using spray-foam insulation under the roof, which is left exposed, minimising material use. It was also commended for ‘achieving an amazing amount on a tight budget’. It is, according to another judge, ‘a fantastic scheme full of a sense of fun and joy. This scheme not only reinvents the building but education too.’ RGWW”
Read more on the AJ Retrofit Awards 2021 website
Location Clapton, London
Client LEAP Federation, Mandeville Primary School
Main contractor Modernarc
Engineer Structure Workshop
Services engineer Peter Deer and Associates
Completion date February 2020
Building occupation date February 2020
Project cost £307,000
Predicted annual CO2 emissions 14CO2/m²/year
Predicted reduction in annual CO2 emissions 85%
“A fantastic scheme full of a sense of fun and joy. This scheme not only reinvents the building but education too.”
