Existing site
1 Existing Learning Building 2 New Learning Annexe 3 Community Garden 4 New Winter Garden
The ClementJames Centre
We’ve been working together with the ClementJames Centre to design and deliver their new learning complex.
Based in North Kensington, the Centre’s ambition is for everyone in their community to benefit from learning experiences and to live fulfilled lives; realised through education and support in safe and compassionate spaces, often in an external garden setting.
We developed a new masterplan, rationalising the Centre’s existing Grade II listed context to provide a series of intergenerational teaching spaces without the loss of valuable external space. The massing of the proposal, formed around the Centre’s community garden, is modest and sensitive to the character of the local Conservation Area. We centred our interventions around their existing and much loved community garden to ensure this would remain at the heart of the organisation.
A dedicated two-storey Learning Annexe, will allow the Centre to offer more education opportunities for children & young people, employment support and adult learning. Orientated towards the external courtyard, the massing draws upon the expressive rooflines and forms of the Victorian terraces that characterise the Conservation Area. The broken form of the annexe softens the scale of the building and allows more daylight to reach the courtyard beyond.
A Winter Garden will occupy a previously underutilised area of the site, bounded by the Grade II Listed Church of St Clements. The design is purposefully light-touch to respect the significant heritage features of the adjacent Church; spun concrete columns support an expressive vaulted timber lid to reference the gables and roofline of the Church. The space will support larger external events and educational workshops meaning that that the centre can continue to hold their important outreach activities in an external garden setting, all year round.
At the heart of the scheme sits a renewed community garden that will enable the Centre to continue to deliver teaching and outdoor activities. The garden is bounded by a covered walkway that provides circulation between buildings, bringing the Church and educational facilities together, whilst preventing the need for costly internal corridors.
Due to Coronavirus restrictions imposed during the development of the proposals, meeting face-to-face for public consultation, required for planning, was challenging. Accepting these limitations, we developed and led a successful online engagement strategy, which captured what was an overwhelmingly positive response in support of the scheme.
The project is now expected to be submitted for Faculty approvals in the latter part of 2020.
Press
The Architect’s Journal – Freehaus lodges plans to extend Kensington education charity building
Awards
Winner – New London Awards 2021 – Unbuilt
Tags: Community
“We feel fortunate to be working with Freehaus on this important expansion and development of our centre. Their sensitive and thoughtful approach has made them a delight to work with.
They listened to and understood the needs of both the centre and the people we serve and produced a design that is not only beautiful, but retains a welcoming sense of calm, whilst doubling our delivery space.”
Clare Richards, Chief Executive Officer, Clement James Centre
“This is an exciting and ambitious scheme which has been carefully considered. The proposal should be encouraged, and commended for its sensitivity.”
Patrick Booth, Church Buildings Adviser, DAC
Given the Coronavirus pandemic restrictions taking place during the consultation stage of this project, we prepared a digital response to the challenges of meeting face-to-face.
We created a website, a newsletter, a video and a dedicated email to receive comments and feedback as well as banners and leaflets that were distributed in the proximities of the ClementJames Centre.
Consultation Banner on Site
“Thank you for all your work getting the consultation material prepared. It looks beautiful.”
Clare Richards, Chief Executive Officer, Clement James Centre
Community Consultation Leaflet
