Architects:Lathams

Area:130m²

Year:2019

Photographs:Caroline Bridges

Manufacturers:AutoDesk,Interface,British Gypsum,Howarth Timber Engineered Solutions,JRC Slate

Engineering:Howarth Timber Engineered Solutions Ltd

Project Director:Chris Twomey

Project Architect And Lead Designer:Grzegorz Oleniecki

Contract Administration:Lucy Hillier

Technical Assistance:Geoff Rhodes

Clients:Wicksteed Park Limited, Wicksteed Charitable Trust

Country:United Kingdom

Text description provided by the architects. The new Learning Space complements the existing pioneering concrete cottages, designed and built by Charles Wicksteed in the early 1920s as prototypes for what was intended as mass-produced prefabricated houses. The Brief called for a large flexible multi-use space, with the ability to cater to a wide range of learning scenarios and a gallery space, enabling artwork to be displayed. A light and airy environment was a pre-requisite, with a stated ambition that the building should be an inspirational learning space for both young and old.

Storage and ancillary accommodation also formed a key part of the brief, including accessible WC, kitchenette and table/chair storage, as well as storage and racking for specific learning resources. The site for the proposed Learning Space was the site of the demolished garage building, within the historic heart of Wicksteed Park. The site lies within the historic ‘octagon’ defined by clipped hedgerows, alongside the pair of early concrete cottages with hipped slate roofs and adjacent to a third concrete cottage, albeit the latter has a flat roof. It was vital that the proposed building was able to reference these historic concrete cottages and sit comfortably in the historic heart, whilst also providing a flexible modern environment for learning.