Crouch Hill Community Park

Design & Access Statement

December 2008

Penoyre & Prasad LLP AKT Gifford Whitelaw Turkington Davis Langdon Owen Henry and Urban Practitioners Crouch Hill Community Park Design and Access Statement December 2008 Crouch Hill Community Park Design and Access Statement December 2008 Contents

1 Introduction

2 Consultation

3 Site / Existing Building Analysis

4 Site Strategy

5 Design Proposals

6 Access Strategy

Appendices A Table of Materials B Environmental Assessment of Structural Solution C Schedules of Accommodation D Notes on Historical Context E Architectural Drawings Crouch Hill Community Park Design and Access Statement December 2008 Crouch Hill Community Park Design and Access Statement December 2008 1 Introduction

landscape and enhancing the local 1 Introduction ecology; reintroducing a community facility This report describes the architectural through the construction of a new building component of the Planning Application for for Ashmount Primary School (relocating the Crouch Hill Community Park, which from its present home on Ashmount Road) includes the new Ashmount School/ and Bowlers Nursery; renovating and Bowlers Nursery and the renovated Cape refurbishing the existing Cape building to youth project’s building. The following also include a new youth environmental reports also form part of the full Planning centre; and moving and upgrading the Application: MUGA. The centre of the site is to be • Planning Statement cleared and opened up to create a new • Landscape Strategy public space in the centre of the park. • Transport Assessment • Draft Travel Plan The driver for the project is the urgent • Sustainable Design and Construction need to provide a new building for Statement Ashmount School. Its present building, • Waste and Resource Strategy and on Ashmount Road, is a notable 1950s Outline Site Waste Management building that has reached the end of its Plan useful life as a primary school. Studies • Environmental Impact Assessment have been carried out to ascertain its potential for transformation to provide Extensive consultation with the an up-to-date teaching environment and stakeholders, Islington planners, GLA, these have shown that this is not possible. local residents and community groups, In addition, Islington has carried out police advisors, school pupils and youth studies to identify alternative sites for the centre children has formed part of the new school building, the only possible one brief development for this project. A list of being the one under consideration. The these meetings is contained in section 3. full justification for building on Metropolitan Open Land is set out in Section 5 of the The site for the project is the upper Planning Statement. plateau to the south of the Parkland Walk, bounded to the east by Crouch Hill, to The project team recognises the extreme the west by Hornsey Rise Gardens and sensitivity of the site and every effort has to the south by a series of multistorey been taken in the design both of the flats - Hillrise, Warltersville and Coleman landscape and the buildings to protect Mansions. The overall site is designated and enhance the special qualities of the Metropolitan Open Land, while the upper site. The design of the new Ashmount part is locally designated as a park. The School and Bowlers Nursery aims to site is also of ecological significance. There realise the school, nursery and Borough’s is an existing community centre, long vision for inclusive, adaptable and vibrant since derelict, and an isolated building with 21st Century learning environments, with its own enclosed garden in the centre of the extended schools agenda creating the site, used by Bowlers nursery. At the new opportunities for the local community. entrance to the site is the Cape building, At the same time, a refurbished Cape a four storey brick structure originally built building provides new and exciting as a substation for the electrification of the facilities for the Cape youth project, while railway in the 1950s. Adjacent to this is extending its programme to include the an unmaintained Multi Use Games Area. youth environmental centre. The project The upper part of the site is unkempt and as a whole is an exercise in environmental unloved, and generally considered unsafe. sustainability and through the use of careful design and renewable energy The project involves: reclaiming the achieves a carbon-negative rating. park for the community; restoring the

Crouch Hill Community Park Design and Access Statement December 2008 Crouch Hill Community Park Design and Access Statement December 2008 2 Consultation

2 Consultation

The following consultations were held during the course of brief and design development (see Planning Statement, section 3 for more details):

2007 15th June Meeting with Aoife Morgan, Bowlers Nursery (P&P) 15th June Meeting at CAPE (P&P) 21st June Meeting with Panna McGee, Ashmount Primary School 3rd July Meeting with Greenspace, Islington Nature Conservation and LBI’s head of sustainability 5th July Workshop with Ashmount School pupils 5th July Presentation to staff at Bowlers Nursery (P&P, UP) 11th July Meeting with Police Community Officer, Friends of Parkland Walk and other local interest groups (client, P&P) 19th July Meeting with LBI planners and conservation planners (client, P&P) 24th July Presentation to GLA (client, Owen Henry, Gifford, P&P, WT) 15th August Workshop with Cape 12th September Stakeholder workshop, with Ashmount School, Bowlers and CAPE (client, P&P, WT)

2008 20th May Meeting with Islington’s Energy Team (Client, LBI Head of Development Control, Gifford, P&P) 21st May Project team meeting to discuss meeting sustainability objectives in brief. 27th May Meeting between Owen Henry and LBI Head of Development Control 9th June Meeting between Whitelaw Turkington and Islington’s Greenspace 10th June Meeting with GLA (client, P&P, Gifford, WT, Owen Henry) 20th/21st June Exhibition and consultation with local community on site (WT, P&P) 1st July Presentation of Stage C proposals to Ashmount School, Bowlers Nursery, Cape youth project and Friends of Parkland Walk 11th July In-house design review with Roderic Bunn from BSRIA to discuss energy and environmental issues (Gifford, P&P) 15th July Meeting with Pana McGee, Ashmount School (P&P, WT) 4th August Meeting with Skevos Loizuo, Cape (P&P, LBI) 22nd August Meeting with Skevos Loizuo and Archie, Cape (P&P, WT, LBI) 2nd September Meeting with GLA’s Biodiversity officer (WT, Jon Riley, LBI) 3rd September Meeting with Pana McGee, Ashmount School (P&P, WT) 5th September Meeting with Islington’s Energy Team (P&P, Gifford, LBI) 11th September Meeting with Aoife Morgan and parents, Bowlers nursery (P&P, WT, and LBI) 18th Sept Meeting with Islington’s ecology team (WT, LBI) 20th October Preapplication meeting with planners to discuss design (P&P, Owen Henry, Gifford, LBI) 4th November Preapplication meeting with planners to discuss transport (P&P, Gifford, Owen Henry, LBI) 17th November Presentation of Stage D proposals to Ashmount School, Bowlers Nursery, Cape youth project and Friends of Parkland Walk 19th November Preapplication meeting with planners to discuss landscape and biodiversity (P&P, WT, Gifford, Owen Henry, LBI) 21st November Presentation to GLA (GLA, LBI (planners and client), Gifford, Owen Henry, WT, P&P) 3rd December Meeting with Pana, headteacher Ashmount School (P&P) Crouch Hill Community Park Design and Access Statement December 2008 Crouch Hill Community Park Design and Access Statement December 2008 3 Site/Existing Buildings Analysis

entrance to the site, its grafitti covered 3 Site/ Existing Buildings walls reinforcing its sense of brooding and Analysis disrepair. It is, however, home to the Cape Youth Project, which runs a lively mix of projects and activities the year round. Its The site is largely defined by two distinct lowest level is at the same level as the areas – the Parkland Walk running east- Parkland Walk while the views from its west through the old railway cutting, and upper windows is almost like being in a the upper plateau to the south. In the treetop hide. upper plateau there is little openness or overall sense of the space. The land is The area to the north is part of the subdivided between buildings and their Parkland Walk, the recreational path from private external spaces. Within recent Finsbury Park to Highgate, created by the history, amenity shrubs and trees have closure of the Northern Heights branch line been planted around the perimeter to in 1970. Here, unusually, the path runs in create internal boundaries. There is a cutting rather than on an embankment, now a strong edge of maturing trees, between slopes of up to 11m high, now particularly on the south, and planting well-colonised by secondary woodland. inside the site is overgrown. The land In a part of North London distinguished rises to the north where a ridge of terrain by the long view south to the City and St colonised by dense hedgerow is a barrier Pauls, the site gains mystery from its lack to the Parkland Walk. Apart from the of views. The effect is almost of a wooded single vehicular access from Crouch Hill, ravine, a rare and dramatic topography for paths are squeezed between structures London which can be enjoyed at walking or around site edges and are narrow, speed. Yet this is not countryside. The unsavoury alleyways with poor visibility unique magic of this place is that it is and uninviting entrances. The existing emphatically an urban, London wilderness. Multi Use Games Area blocks sightlines Against the semi-natural topography and across the site and constricts the access vegetation are set a series of old railway from the site to Warltersville Road to the structures, with a robust engineering south. The boarded-up community centre aesthetic. This is perhaps the only stretch and overgrown vegetation reinforce the of the Parkland Walk where a substantial impression of a space cut off from its structure, the Cape building, stands hard surrounds, underused and potentially against the former track. unsafe. The Parkland Walk is not pretty. It is There are three buildings on this upper an industrial artefact under reclamation plateau, of varying quality and condition. by nature. It has a slightly edgy quality, In the centre of the site is the Bowlers unlit and in many places covered in nursery building. A single storey structure graffiti. Popular on summer weekends, built in the early 1980s, it is set in its it is underused at other times and has a own privately enclosed garden, cutting reputation as unsafe. There have been the public space in half. The nursery is serious crimes. Connecting routes up to home to around 30 - 35 children. To the The site is part of a string of ‘green pearls’ the southern plateau and to the public west of Bowlers is the old Crouch Hill along the old Northern Branch railway footpaths to the north are for the most part community centre, popular during the steep, narrow, muddy and inaccessible by 1970s and 1980s, but now derelict and wheelchair or the infirm. The main north- overlooking an overgrown bowling green south link across the Parkland Walk is an to its south. At the other end of the site, old railway footbridge, derelict and unsafe, at the entrance from Crouch Hill, stands and only accessible via the muddy paths. the CAPE building, a large brick cube built as a substation for the electrification of the railway, but never commissioned. This four storey building dominates the main Crouch Hill Community Park Design and Access Statement December 2008 3 Site/Existing Buildings Analysis

Existing site plan Crouch Hill Community Park Design and Access Statement December 2008 3 Site/Existing Buildings Analysis

Surveys The following surveys have been carried out:

Survey/report Responsibility Notes Rationale for survey

Topographic Survey Topographic survey March 2006 To determine whether any unidentified features or sites of historic interest were Site visit on 13 June 2008 visible on site, and to provide information on the existing topography. Archaeological Desk Based Gifford Assessment Archaeological watching brief was Allows an early assessment of the potential for survival of archaeological remains, conducted during the geotechnical in particular the potential for survival of prehistoric remains, including environmental evaluation of the site remains. Waste and Resource Strategy Gifford Not required N/A Flood Risk Assessment Gifford Site visit on 2nd June 2008 To look at existing site drainage. Local Air Quality Assessment Gifford Not required N/A Baseline Noise Survey 11th – 14th Noise and Vibration Assessment Gifford To establish the baseline noise climate at the site. November and 22nd November 2008 Traffic Survey 10th – 16th Nov 2008 Predominantly to establish the number of HGVs on Crouch Hill. Parking Survey 25th Nov 2008 To establish the level of parking (in terms of total number of spaces on street and Transport Assessment (including Gifford availability of spaces every ½ hr) on all roads around perimeter of site. School travel plan review) Nursery Questionnaire (Oct/Nov) To establish level of travel movements and modes associated with Nursery. Walking Audit 11th November 2008 To establish the quality and nature of the pedestrian routes to the site. Delivery and Service Strategy Gifford Not required N/A Extended Phase 1 habitat survey and To establish vegetation on site and potential of the site to provide habitat for protected species assessment February protected and notable species plus indication of presence of these species. 2006 and updated in 2008 Bat Surveys – Internal and external Ecological Impact Assessment ECL inspection of buildings in 2006 and 2008. To establish the extent of bat use on site, in terms of roosting, commuting and (including Bat emergence and activity surveys were foraging. carried out in 2006 and 2008 Phase 2 Reptile Survey March and May To establish if reptiles are present on site. 2006 Will summarise above surveys where Environmental Statement Gifford N/A applicable To BS5837, 2005. Carried out autumn To provide accurate survey of trees, including exact position on site, girth, age, root Tree Survey Whitelaw Turkington 2008 spread, species, etc. Additional tree canopy survey December 2008 To establish true extent of existing tree canopies. To establish basic structural condition of Cape building for Stage C and Stage D Visual inspection of Cape AKT June 2008 design purposes. Penoyre and To provide detailed measured drawings of the Cape Building in order to develop Measured survey of Cape July 2008 Prasad design. Geotechnical and Ground AKT August/September 2008 To establish soil conditions and any soil contamination. Contamination investgation Measured drawings of existing Penoyre and November 2008 To provide accurate record of existing buildings on site to be demolished. Community Centre and Bowlers Prasad Crouch Hill Community Park Design and Access Statement December 2008 3 Site/Existing Buildings Analysis

Part of the site is in the St Paul’s Viewing Corridor from Alexandra Palace Crouch Hill Community Park Design and Access Statement December 2008 3 Site/Existing Buildings Analysis

General views of the site Crouch Hill Community Park Design and Access Statement December 2008 3 Site/Existing Buildings Analysis

Views of the existing community centre and MUGA Crouch Hill Community Park Design and Access Statement December 2008 3 Site/Existing Buildings Analysis

Views of the Cape buidling Crouch Hill Community Park Design and Access Statement December 2008 Crouch Hill Community Park Design and Access Statement December 2008 4 Site Strategy

Providing safer access 4 Site Strategy New routes across the site provide easy The proposals for the site are based on a and inviting access to the facilities. A new number of fundamental principles: central path leading up from Warltersville • ensuring that the buildings, the Road meets footpaths from west and landscape and their management south in the heart of the site. The existing will enhance the key objectives of footbridge will be refurbished and paths to its designation as MOL and a site of the bridge upgraded. The southwestern special Ecological significance entrance to the site will be opened up • reducing the overall building to provide easy and safe access to the footprint. The existing building school and Bowler’s Nursery. footprint is 1315 m2. The proposed building footprint is 1088m2, Lighting is a key to the creation of safe excluding the buried Bowlers access onto and across the site. This will building and overhangs (1268m2 need to be carefully considered due to the including overhangs). ecologically sensitive nature of the site. • creating a safer place that people will Thus, while the Parkland Walk itself will enjoy visiting and a useful crossing not be lit at night, routes to the school and point between different parts of the CAPE building will be lit at night to create a community. safe and secure environment. • enhancing the natural setting by positioning new buildings to allow Opening up the centre of the site a central green heart to the site, a The existing Bowlers nursery is removed focal space where people gather and the MUGA moved eastwards to open and around which the facilities are up the centre of the site for public use. arranged All routes into and through the site pass • making the park more accessible, through this central space. enjoyable and safe • engaging the local and wider The new school building, with incorporated community by creating a unique Bowlers nursery, is located at the western resource for recreation end of the site, on the footprint of the old • achieving a balance between recreation centre and facing onto the heart an increase in visitors and the of the site. The school’s position creates protection of habitat a protected area of land between the • process of design, construction and building and the western boundary which sustainable use of the new buildings is secure and under its control. Plan showing existing surfaces on the site is a ground-breaking opportunity for education and participation The CAPE building, newly refurbished and given a new lease of life is close to the Key moves vehicular entrance to the site and provides Three key moves help open up the site: passive surveillance of this part of the site.

Moving the existing access road Diurnal use of the site The key move in the site strategy is to While part of the site is permanently given move the access road from Crouch Hill over to the sole use of Ashmount school away from the centre of the site to the and Bowlers, the front of the school and southern edge. This allows the upper part of its facilities will be available to the area to be united with the Parkland Walk, community outside of school hours. This provides a controlled vehicle access to the diurnal nature of the site is illustrated in the School and leaves the remainder of the following drawings. site vehicle-free. Crouch Hill Community Park Design and Access Statement December 2008 4 Site Strategy

The main moves Crouch Hill Community Park Design and Access Statement December 2008 4 Site Strategy

The overall building footprint is decreased by approximately 227m2 Crouch Hill Community Park Design and Access Statement December 2008 4 Site Strategy

Use of the site during school hours At all times, the majority of the upper plateau is open to the public, including the central green space and the roof over Bowlers.

During the school day, the whole of the school site area is closed to the public and Muga is also used by Ashmount. The Cape building is used primarily by the Wooden Spanner and other daytime worskhops and the environmental centre is used by visiting school children

Use of the site after school hours When the school is open to the community (for instance, to use the halls, library or ICT suite), the front play space is also open to the community, under supervision by the caretaker. The Cape building is open to school children as an after school and youth club, and the MUGA is used primarily by Cape and the community.

Use of the site during school hours Crouch Hill Community Park Design and Access Statement December 2008 4 Site Strategy

Use of the site after school hours Crouch Hill Community Park Design and Access Statement December 2008 5 Design proposals

Proposed Site Plan Crouch Hill Community Park Design and Access Statement December 2008 5 Design proposals

the main entrance of the school, itself school opens up around you: to your left 5 Design proposals protected by a canopy. This entrance you see through large glazed screens into is primarily for Year 3 – 6 children and the main hall below; beyond the main stair 5.1 Ashmount and Bowlers their parents, as well as the community there are views through to the protected Design intent – a place in the woods, entrance during the school’s extended play area; ahead and to the right you see rooted in the community hours. A bike shelter is located at the start into the tree-house library at the heart of The school will be more than just a place of this path, near the main gate, removing the school, overlooked by the ICT suite. of learning for school children, providing the clutter of bicycles at the main doors. Large timber mullions frame views of the teaching and learning facilities appropriate woodland beyond. for 21st Century learning. It will also A second entrance to the southwest of the provide enhanced community facilities school compound is primarily for nursery, The ground and lower ground floors that are in keeping with the MOL status reception children and infants. Parents comprises administration offices, staff of the land and the unique environmental drop the children off either at the entrance room, library, a large music teaching room and ecological qualities of the site, facilities to the nursery or reception classes, or and halls. These are readily accessible for young adult education, community under the double storey overhang to to the community out of school hours meetings and gatherings, community outside the main hall. yet easily separated from the rest of the sports facilities and other extended school school. elements. A separate entrance, outside the compound of the school, serves Bowlers Earth dwellers and tree dwellers The design of the school reinforces nursery. Progression through the school, from its position in its unique parkland nursery, through reception and infants, to environment. The design seeks to Vehicular access and deliveries juniors, is conceived as that of progressing bring the outside into the building, with While general vehicular access will be from the earth up into the trees. all students and staff experiencing the restricted, deliveries and waste disposal qualities of daylight filtered through are allowed for via the relocated road At the lowest level of the school, with trees. Throughout the school, light and leading from Crouch Hill Road. These direct access to the south-facing air encourage inspiration and well-being, vehicles are kept outside the school’s protected play areas are the ‘earth while framed views out reveal broader compound and away from the entrances dwellers’. The youngest children – nursery horizons and a sense of space and into the school site. Kitchen deliveries and reception - are here protected and freedom. External teaching balconies and bin collections will be via the delivery nurtured ‘in the earth’ with south facing almost touch the branches, attracting entrance off the central space, buried play areas. Here also are the school halls. wildlife right up to the windows. under the turf roof at the back of the The small hall is literally dug into the hillside kitchen. Stationary and other day-to-day with a fantastic 6m wide picture window Living roofs for play areas allow children deliveries for the school will be via the looking out onto the woodland walk to experience their natural surroundings in main entrance. through a newly planted stand of birch safety, while the outdoor spaces and park trees. Acoustic folding screens allow the beyond offer opportunities for formal and A separate Delivery and Service Plan two halls to combine via a generous lobby informal learning. provides more details on the management with natural daylight. Changing rooms at of access and deliveries to the site. this level connect out to the MUGA via the This will be a school where children can main stairs. feel a deep connection and respect for Organisational strategy the natural world in an otherwise urban The building is composed of three As one rises up the building, the school setting. The building can do much to ‘branches’, each extending into the ‘branches out’ around the upper level of engender this. In addition to being a state landscape, united by a central heartspace the library (an enclosed but transparent of the art learning facility this school is a comprising entrance, stairs and gathering ICT suite) and the ‘gathering stair’, a place that stimulates the imagination. spaces. Bowlers Nursery forms an tiered informal teaching space. The first extended part to the southern finger, floor contains the infants’ classrooms and Entrance kinking slightly to create an enclosure younger juniors. The infants can access There are two entrances into the school to the southern part of the school’s site. their classrooms via the external stairs compound. The main entrance, to the Timber-clad external fire escape stairs leading up from their separate play spaces east, is approached from the heart of the cantilever off the end of each branch. or via the central stair. The juniors (years 3 site. A school fence around the front of - 6) access their classrooms via the central the school provides protected play space The glazed entrance gives views into the stair. for older children. A path leads up to View of site from the east life of the school. Upon entering, the Crouch Hill Community Park Design and Access Statement December 2008 5 Design proposals

As one reaches the top of the school, the school. They also have access to two Accessed via a timber stair from the main the views open up, with distant views rooftop terraces – the one with a netball play space, this is a quiet cosy corner, into the treetops and across the Parkland court, the other the outdoor teaching away from the activities below. An access Walk. This upper level contains teaching space, but also available for supervised platform lift can be provided for disabled spaces for the older children and opens play during play time. access to this level. onto external teaching and play areas. The creative space opens onto a west Bowlers nursery The private and well-protected garden facing external roof terrace. This terrace is The nursery is located to the south of has both grass and hard play areas. enclosed by timber walls with openings to the school, an extension of one of its Separated from the Ashmount’s children provide a sense of enclosure, while open branches, buried to the east but with a by landscaping, they will nevertheless to the sky above. With its retractable generous large glazed wall looking onto have a sense of connection with the other canopy, this terrace provides a protected their garden and play space and the children through the sounds of play. external teaching environment that can be trees beyond. It is independent from the used in all weather. Primary school but with the potential to Structural strategy share its facilities. Ashmount School and Bowlers nursery Flexibility The structural solution for this building has The teaching spaces are arranged in pairs, The nursery has a separate entrance to been driven by two main factors: with each pair of classrooms divided by the school, accessed via a timber entrance • the need for large, column-free a sliding/folding partition that allows a deck, raised 1m above external ground spans in the halls on the lower flexible arrangement of teaching, either in level, and reached by ramp. A fence ground floor View of school and central space individual classes or by year. Small rooms provides security and enclosure to the • the requirements of a naturally outside each classroom cluster provide play area and entrance. The entrance ventilated environmental strategy. space for small group teaching and is sheltered from sun and rain by an This requires a thermal mass for individual learning. overhang, the small enclosure providing thermal stability and nighttime space for prams and buggies to be left cooling and a flat concrete soffit for External landscape while parents drop off and collect their efficient expulsion of stale air. The school beds into the landscape children. to minimise its visual impact. A berm In order to meet these requirements, a conceals the lower ground level from the The reception area is wide and welcoming precast system of concrete ‘Omnia’ floor east, minimising the mass of the building. and with captured views of the play space decking is to be used throughout the This is partially terraced to provide an beyond. The staff room is away from school and also Bowlers. These precast amphitheatre within the confines of all nursery playspaces overlooking the units allow for large spans to be obtained, the school’s front play area. The berm entrance to give staff the chance for a and also provide flat soffits with a good continues around the front of the school to quiet break. The main nursery play space finish to the spaces below. An in-situ rise up and over Bowlers Nursery to form is broad and open and can be arranged concrete frame obviates the need for a contiguous part of the park. into smaller spaces with furniture. Three downstand beams supporting the Omnia large rooflights bring daylight deep into planks. The precast planks allow for a Between the building’s fingers the external the building. A storage wall running along more rapid construction process and landscape provides play space at varying the back of the space incorporates doors potentially allow some of the structure to heights. The lowest part of the site is leading onto the kitchen and toilets. The be dismantled and recycled. It is also a accessible from the reception and nursery children’s toilet has a large glazed screen structural solution favoured by BREEAM. classes and provides safe and secure to bring daylight into the toilet and allow play space for the youngest children in the for supervision from the play area. This structural solution was arrived at school. This part of the site also provides following an extensive exploration of a generous external terrace, partially The far end of the nursery space is alternative options, including a timber covered, for outside dining in the summer subdivided into a separate baby space, frame with precast units, a steel frame and covered play at lunchtime. with its own doors onto a protected with precast units, and a totally insitu play space. A changing/laundry room is concrete structure. These were rejected The northern part of the site provides directly accessed from this area. Above for a variety of reasons - timber or steel protected play space for the infants. Years this area a mezzanine book reading area frames would require downstand beams, three to six are provided with a range of has been inserted, a carpeted snug area thus reducing the efficiency of the external play areas. At ground floor level lined with cushions and bookshelves. ventilation system and the cost of steel they can use the play area to the front of is higher than concrete. A combination View of site from the west Crouch Hill Community Park Design and Access Statement December 2008 5 Design proposals

Access into the school Play areas around the school Crouch Hill Community Park Design and Access Statement December 2008 5 Design proposals

of timber and concrete (to gain thermal The main play space for 7 – 11 year olds and go-cart maintenance workshop and mass and acoustic separation), and/or is located on this floor. A large partition remains accessible separately from the timber, concrete and steel would involve opens up to join the space to the ecology rest of the building. Light and additional more complexity and therefore cost in centre. A small training kitchen can serve ventilation is introduced into the space the structure and detailing. It was also both the play space and the ecology through opening up the north wall with more difficult to achieve the large spans centre. The new ecology centre itself is glazing and sliding doors. Internally required. Thus, the combination of a long thin steel-framed box cantilevered operated roller shutters provide security at precast concrete floor units and in-situ off the north and west side of the building. night. An additional external working area frame appears to be an optimal solution. Clad in timber and glass, this will provide is created outside the existing entrance dramatic views over the parkland walk door. Appendix B provides an environmental and into the trees beyond. Built-in assessment of the structural strategy. internal sliding shutters allow the centre The first floor is turned over primarily to to be closed off at twilight to reduce light storage, with the addition of changing 5.2 Cape spill. The centre is accessed from via the facilities in the northeast corner. An The strategy for the existing Cape building existing timber deck on the west side of access door is provided on the east side, is to minimise structural and external the building. with access to the entrance deck above fabric alterations, other than the two main and a fire escape to the west. programmatic interventions - the newly inserted ecology centre on the north The second floor contains the youth space Plant elevation and the mezzanine level between for 11 – 18 year olds and incorporates an The Cape building was originally built as the second floor and the roof. Rather enclosed ICT suite. This space hovers in an electrical substation to serve a newly than fundamentally altering what is a a void over the play space below. New electrified railway line. It never fulfilled this robust building and successful mix of uses windows are opened in the external wall purpose but the present proposals seek within it, the design seeks to reinforce the to admit more light, views and ventilation to reinstate this idea of Cape acting as the relationship between the youth centre and into the space. The double height space energy centre of the whole site. Thus the its building by improving the use of space, will allow the introduction of an internal building will serve as a central plant room enhancing the building’s relationship to the climbing wall. for the whole site, incorporating both the site and upgrading the facilities. CHP and biomass boiler and its woodchip Entrance to Cape Between the second floor and the roof a store. Some plant space is located on the Six principles, highlighted by Cape in our new mezzanine floor is inserted, housing ground floor, restricted by the limited head meetings, are incorporated into the design the music room and recording studio. height down here, and the woodchip store - flexibility, sightlines, views out, use of These are accessed via a short balcony is located beneath the raised plinth to the roof, storage, and security. overlooking the youth play space. This south of the building. has entailed raising the roof locally by Reorganisation 600mm, to the height of the existing raised The biomass boiler and CHP themselves The building has been reorganised and central roof section. are located in the space on top of the rationalised. Thus the eastern bay of plinth. New steel doors provide enclosure the building is now given over to vertical The stair and lift core continue up to and security to the plant, while its location circulation and wet areas. A new wide the roof where access is provided to here provides ease of accessibility and steel staircase and lift in the southeast a new roof terrace. This is formed of maintenance. Its location here is ideal for corner provides a generous and more timber decking, surrounded by a brown its proximity to the entrance to the site for efficient link between the ground floor and roof using, as far as possible, recycled deliveries, and also for distributing heating the new facilities on the roof and a lift. materials from the site. The stair core and surplus electricity to the adjacent flats. All toilets and kitchens are located in the and part of the roof space are wrapped in northeast corner of the building. timber cladding, to relate to the ecology Structural strategy centre below and Ashmount School As with the architectural design, the The main entrance to the building has beyond. The rest of the roof is fenced with structural strategy for the Cape building been moved to the first floor and to the steel mesh and framing to relate to the seeks to minimise interventions. The two centre of the east flank of the building. A other roof top spaces and the MUGA. major interventions consist of the new set of steps and ramp winds through the cantilevered steel box that houses the trees to a new timber deck. An office The lower half of the building is less ecology centre, and the insertion of the at the main entrance provides passive touched. The lower ground floor stays in mezzanine level at second floor. This in surveillance and security for the building. use as the Wooden Spanner motorcycle turn necessitates the raising of the roof View of Cape from the east Crouch Hill Community Park Design and Access Statement December 2008 5 Design proposals

over the eastern bay of the building. be achieved primarily through the use of There may need to be some structural a biomass boiler to provide background adjustments to the plant room on the heating, and a gas-fired CHP to provide ground floor but these will be kept to a heat and electricity and to ship power off minimum. In general all existing steelwork site to adjacent flats. remains in place. The buildings themselves are to be Appendix B provides an environmental completely naturally ventilated, without a assessment of the structural solution. heat recovery system. Studies by Gifford indicated that natural ventilation combined 5.3 Community use with a biomass boiler meant less electrical Key to the project’s success will be the energy was consumed, and hence less provision of enhanced community facilities carbon emitted, than a heat-recovery in both the school and the renovated Cape solution, which required electrical input building. to run it. Although additional heat energy is required with a fully naturally ventilated The school is organised such that the solution (due to heat loss through the open community accessible facilities are windows in winter) this is provided by the accessed directly from the main entrance biomass boiler, considered carbon zero and located primarily on the ground and in calculations. Heating of the school lower ground floors, with ICT facilities building is to be provided primarily through accessible on the first floor. They are underfloor heating. Heating in the Cape arranged so that they can be used while building is primarily with radiators. the rest of the school remains secure out of school hours. The ground floor contains The building fabric will also be designed specialist areas such as the library and in such a way as to minimise energy music areas, as well as an Outside School consumption. Thus natural daylight is Hours Learning space. The lower ground maximised, the walls and roof will be floor, accessed via a generous staircase, super-insulated (with recycled materials), contains the two halls, both opening onto solar shading and solar glazing will be a generous foyer space, which can be used, and the windows will be triple used for large gatherings and exhibitions. glazed. The building will also incorporate a Sports changing facilities are also located brown roof and a rainwater and greywater on the lower ground floor. recovery system (see separate Sustainable Design and Construction Statement for The play area to the front of the school, discussion about rainwater and greywater out of bounds to the public during school recovery). hours, is open to the community while the building is also open to the community. It Other renewable technologies such as thus becomes part of the public realm, but solar hot water heating and ground source under strict supervision. heat pumps will not be incorporated into the design since the present scheme In addition to the school being a can achieve a carbon zero rating through community resource, the Cape building the CHP and biomass boiler alone. A has a new and expanded programme small number of photovoltaic panels to incorporate the ecology centre and may be incorporated into the project for teaching kitchen, teaching and learning educational purposes. spaces for use by school children and young people from the community. The project is currently projected to achieve a BREEAM ‘outstanding’ rating 5.4 Environmental strategy and achieve a carbon-negative impact. The project as a whole is set to be See separate Sustainable Design and carbon negative in operation. This is to Construction Strategy document for more Community facilities detail. Crouch Hill Community Park Design and Access Statement December 2008 5 Design proposals

5.5 Architectural expression paving, reinforcing the idea of the building Transparency and light The school/nursery building and Cape growing out of the ground. The design seeks to maximise the use building will be developed in such a way of natural daylight within the buildings to share an architectural expression. The Timber and reinforce the connection with the existing Cape building is made of tough, Timber cladding, providing a direct outside. All teaching spaces have large robust materials, but the new interventions reference to nature, the forest and windows, solar shaded as required. Long – ecology centre, roof deck, new windows, environmental concerns, is used for the strips of curtain walling along the north etc, will share an architectural language upper levels of Ashmount School and the facing corridors bring the landscape into with Ashmount School. Both buildings new interventions in the Cape building. the building, while glazed screens to the share common themes – a building in Sweet chestnut, a durable hardwood back of the classrooms bring daylight to nature, a hide, rooftop terraces, bedding coppiced from managed forests in East the back of the classrooms. Openness into the landscape – and it is in those Sussex, is specified. This is used vertically and connectedness continue through themes that the common language will be to reflect the verticality of the trees and the building, creating flowing communal found. provide a unifying surface that wraps areas, smaller pockets for informal round the elevations. encounters, and an awareness of the rest Three main materials will be used in both of the school. Here the materials can be buildings – brick, timber and wire mesh On the south and west elevations of brighter and more playful, denoting areas fencing. Ashmount School, the flat cladding will of movement and gathering, with bolder be interspersed with deeper sections colour gestures. Brick of timber that carry metal solar shading The Cape building is a monolithic block in front of the windows. These form a The main hall, a double height space of red brick, much of it covered in graffiti. continuous fringe at the bottom of the looking west onto the landscaped play This lends the building a tough industrial cladding. Windows on the south, west area, is shaded by the overhanging first aesthetic quality which we are keen to and east elevations will be recessed and second floors. This west wall is maintain. It provides a robust backdrop deeply to maximise solar shading. On the glazed with curtain walling with large for the everyday life of the youth centre north elevations, the corridor glazing is set sliding doors which can be pulled right and is redolent of the site’s railway history. flush with the external cladding, creating open on warm days, reinforcing the The integrity of this solid exterior is deep low reveals that double as seats connection between inside and outside. maintained, though sliced open at certain and shelving. It is anticipated that the The smaller hall, a single storey space strategic points – the ecology centre timber cladding to Ashmount School will dug into the ground, has a large north forms a lightweight large bay window on be stained, though the colour is still to be facing picture window looking out onto the the north and west ‘cliff faces’ while new decided. Parkland Walk. windows and large double height glazing have been inserted to bring more light into The ecology centre cantilevered off the The central heartspace, containing the the interior. Most of the new windows face of the Cape building is also clad in entrance, main stairs and gathering space, are formed in existing openings or relate vertical boarding, interspersed with flush get lighter and brighter as one rises up. to their proportions. All new windows glazing, to form a rhythm of solidity and The ground floor entrance area and lower and curtain walling will be the same type transparency. Internally, shutters located ground foyer will be an ideal display area as the school, utilising aluminium/timber within the inner lining of the solid walls and will help create a strong sense of composite frames. can be closed shut in front of the glazing school identity. to reduce light transmission at night into Where the brickwork to the Cape building the forest. The soffit of the ecology centre In the Cape building, new openings bring lend it an industrial aesthetic, brickwork would also be clad in timber, and the roof in much needed light into the heart of the to the school building ties it into the would be a brown roof. building. The original double height space landscape, rooting it into the ground. at ground floor level has been opened However, here the bricks used are long, The external fire escape stairs at the end up and high level windows introduced. thin and dark, emulating the proportions of each ‘branch’ are steel constructions, This creates a sense of light and of railway sleepers thus also referring to clipped onto the sides of the building. The connectedness across the different floors, Development study for the site’s recent history. This brickwork stairs are also clad in timber, but with a and establishes new relationships between the materials for the Cape is used on the lower ground and ground hit-and-miss detail that creates a lighter the younger and older play spaces. building. A combination of floors, providing a robust exterior where more perforate, though still waterproof, the existing brickwork with it is most vulnerable. It will continue into enclosure to prevent rain and snow new interventions of glass, the landscape to form retaining walls and creating a slip hazard. timber and fencing Crouch Hill Community Park Design and Access Statement December 2008 5 Design proposals

Fencing Materials will also be specified according • Resin flooring to corridors and The design requires the extensive use to recycled content and/or recyclability. carpets - solvent and VOC free (if of fencing, both for security and for In accordance with PfS and WRAP resin is value engineered out, then protection of the roof terraces. Budget guidelines, 10% by value of recycled it will be replaced with linoleum, a constraints demand that an economic content will be aimed for. Materials which natural, solvent-free product) fencing material is used, but the proposals will contain recycled materials include: • Tretford carpet to offices – this is will establish a design approach that uses 80% goat hair, 15% nylon, 5% the fencing to provide safety and security Concrete Recycled viscose bonded to hessian backing as well as interest and variety. Planting will aggregates/fly ash • Timber floors to sports hall, gym, also be incorporated where appropriate. drama, assembly hall and recital Blockwork Recycled cement room. The use of bamboo will be There are four main areas where the Plasterboard Recycled plaster explored. fencing will be used : Masonite beams Masonite contains • along the top edge of Bowlers’ roof 40-65% less raw Walls: • around the netball court and roof material than • All walls are to be painted, or sealed, terrace of Ashmount conventional with solvent free natural paints • around the roof terrace of Cape timber beams • Timber cladding to be stained using • around the MUGA solvent free natural stains Panelvent Made from wood A different form of fencing will be used sheathing chippings and Appendix A provides a table of the main around the front entrance and rear play forest thinnings elements and building materials to be space to Ashmount and Bowlers, a Warmcell insulation Recycled used in the buidlings with their BRE Green more artisit/sculptural form designed in newspaper Guide ratings. collaboration with the school. Brown roofs Substrate may contain recycled Roofs trainers, rubble All roofs will be ‘living roofs’ – either roof material can terraces for use as teaching and play contain recycled spaces, or brown roofs, using, as far as demolition material possible, site material from demolition or Entrance matting Contains recycled excavation work. Generally terraces are rubber used for teaching, hard surfaces such as paving will be used. Play space, such as Built-in furniture This can contain the netball court to Ashmount, will have a recycled plastics, soft rubberised surface. The deck to the recycled timber top of Cape will be timber. panelling, etc

Sustainability of materials In all cases, materials will be also selected As far as possible, materials with low on the basis of robustness and durability embodied energy, that are locally sourced and ease of maintenance, key aspects of (within 80km of the site) and sustainably the sustainability of any building. produced will be used. Thus all timber will be FSC specified, and the cladding The internal finishes of the school will sourced in East Sussex from managed be specified with a view to completely coppiced woods. Aggregate for the eliminating the presence of VOCs. The concrete will be specified, as far as following finishes are to be used: possible, to come from within 30 km of the site. Other products, such as the Floors: windows, brickwork, etc will inevitably • Resin terrazzo floor to main heart come from further afield. space – solvent and VOC free

Development study of materials to Ashmount School