Henley Halebrown school/housing wins Mixed Use category in AJ Architecture Awards 2021

The success of this clever but complex fusing of two building types – school and housing – was commended by the judges. ‘It is a difficult combination of functions to pull off  but this does it brilliantly – a truly mixed-use exemplar,’ said one.

The school, accommodating 350 pupils aged four to 11, is arranged around a courtyard, while the housing takes the form of an 11-storey residential point block, containing 68 affordable-rent apartments and ground-floor retail. ‘It’s really well-organised in a complicated form,’ one judge observed.

The project’s reinforced concrete structural frame was designed to minimise material, with cement replacements specified in the mix wherever possible. The largely prefabricated façade units helped minimise waste on site. A ‘passive first’ sustainability strategy resulted in a highly airtight and insulated envelope and an architectural form that allows for passive cross-flow and stack ventilation where possible. The thermal mass, including exposed concrete, acts as an energy capacitor. On-site energy generation is 88.83 per cent from a combined heat and power plant and photovoltaics.

The design was praised for its practicality and detailing, from the bench adjacent to the school’s entrance to the excellent daylighting of the classrooms, from generous storage in the flats to features such as en suites with entrances on two sides. ‘Every detail makes a statement,’ said one judge. ‘This scheme ekes out every bit of architectural value. Stunning’, concluded another.

Shortlist

• The Post Building by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris
• Hobhouse Court by Brisac Gonzalez and Arquitectonica
• Dudley House by Child Graddon Lewis
• King’s Cross Bridge by Latitude
• Sprowston Mews by Matheson Whitely
• Essoldo House by Nick Shipp Architects
• Barts Square by Sheppard Robson

Judges

• Kunle Barker, chief operating officer, Melt Property
• Sam Jacob, principal, Sam Jacob Studio
• Eva Jiřičná, principal, Eva Jiřičná Architects and AI Design

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