BIG CREATIVE ACADEMY

A further Education College for post-16 pupils on an existing site in Walthamstow, East London, for the Big Creative Enterprise, currently a single Academy Trust specialising in the creative and performing arts. WGI were appointed by Farrans Construction as part of their design team under a PCSA to develop the feasibility study to Planning and Completion. The building is designed to a capacity of 400no. pupils increasing from the current number of 250 and is funded by the ESFA.

The site is located on the former Willowfield School within walking distance of Blackhorse Road underground station but concealed behind existing Victorian terraces on the main Blackhorse Lane. The site has two frontages; Clifton Avenue and Tavistock Avenue with the former being the primary access.

The design response was to locate a new block to the SW corner of the site set back with an open piazza space within the site boundary. This required the demolition of most the existing 1960’s and earlier Victorian buildings. A Community Café was added to the brief and is located at the site boundary and adjacent a retained 1960’s block currently used by BCE.

The arrangement of spaces within a ‘Y’-shaped plan allowed the primary performing arts spaces including the triple height theatre to be located at the front of the site together with a School café. The other two wings house teaching, staff and dining spaces arranged over 3-floors.

The façade proposal uses a rainscreen cladding system with an iridescent panel to showcase the theatre wall that rises to face the pedestrian approach. A mixture of brick facing plinths and through coloured render complete the façades with aluminium windows and curtain walling.

The project is BREEAM Very Good rated and targets Secure By Design principles.

Location: LB of Waltham Forest, London

Client: Farrans Construction Ltd

Value: £11.2m

Service: Architecture: Full design

Size: 3,940 sqm

Service: Architecture: RIBA Stages 2 to 5, CDM Consultancy – Sub-Consultant support to PD role.