Whittington Park Community Centre Design and Access Statement

Design and Access Statement (Planning Application Submission) January 2015

architectsnetwork Design and Access Statement (Planning Application Submission) January 2015

Contents

Use of the Building Amount of new building on the site Layout of Space on the site The Scale of the Buildings

Landscape Appearance Access implementation of ‘inclusive’ design ethos Consultation Appendix

architectsnetwork Design and Access Statement (Planning Application Submission) January 2015

Whittington Park Community Centre Use

Whittington Park Community Centre is one of Islington’s community hubs based within and on the edge of the park at a cross roads between Holloway Road, Archway and Tufnell Park. WPCA provide a wide range of activities and services for all ages.

Welcoming more than 700 people every week its core service areas are:

 Under 5’s hub hosting a child-minder’s centre and a One O clock Club .2+ nursery for 12-16 children opening spring 2015.  Lunch club for over 60’s with a range of activities from art classes to ballroom dancing  After school club and holiday play scheme  Community café with accessible prices  Private nursery  A wide range of activities for all ages including a fun piano club, sports classes, street dance and a ukelele orchestra.  Affordable meeting and working spaces for local community groups

architectsnetwork Design and Access Statement (Planning Application Submission) January 2015

It has been operating as a community centre since 1972 .Founded by local community activists with an ethos of inclusivity and accessibility for all which continues with the current development plans.

More information about the centre can be viewed on the Whittington Park Community Association web site.

The centre has seen hard wear and tear over the years and is now in great need to be restored and modernised to give it a new lease of life to attract an ever widening spectrum of the people of this neighbourhood. The existing Victorian buildings are in need for structural repair in particular Hocking Hall which has suffered structural cracking the extent of which has been technically monitored by Islington Council /Greenspace. As with many community buildings the spaces, as they exist now, have great potential but their accumulation of uses added over the years have caused the buildings to develop on an ad hoc basis.

Whittington Park Community Association Use will remain as a Community Centre the current use indeed these proposals will allow it to extend its reach into a broader base of the local community. The alterations to the building proposed entail improvements and repairs to allow the Centre to offer a wider range of facilities to a broader spectrum of the local community. The theme is one of restoration of the buildings particularly Hocking Hall which has suffered structural cracking.

Public consultation undertaken by the Centre has confirmed the desire of the vast majority of consultation respondents is that the building should be restored and architectural features as existing be sensitively restored

The proposals will also update the building to meet the requirements of the building to be fully accessible by the addition of a passenger lift to all floors and improve circulation in the building.

These changes in themselves with the facility’s greater ‘multi-use’ of the main existing spaces and enlargement of the café dining area with provision of a catering kitchen to meet modern standards will. Facilities will also be changed to accommodate children in a manner that provides their own dedicated toilets to enable activities to be used by a wider age group in Hocking Hall.

architectsnetwork Design and Access Statement (Planning Application Submission) January 2015

The Proposals and amount of new building on the site

The works are largely alterations and repairs within the existing envelope however the changes do increase the floor space of the building which is enclosed within the building’s existing footprint. As new build floor space there are four small areas of extension two of these are related to improving the circulation from a functional, accessibility and security point of view.

The space between Hocking Hall, the Park Café and kitchen is an open yard at present between a two storey and single storey building. The proposals intent to free up the large spaces as ‘multi-use rooms’ and create a new hub of circulation to provide access to these multi-use rooms, and increase access between floors and bringing unused yard into functional use.

The vision of the Community Centre as a hub with staff at its centre means the smaller spaces on the north wing will provide accommodation for the support spaces for the multiuse space. This will mean relocating reception/staff office, creating new lift shaft, new toilets replacing the existing to allow enlargement of the current café and kitchen. These changes will also engage the park more with Whittington Park open spaces by relocating the entrance of the community centre to the Rupert Road elevation next to the café.

This will give a much more open feel to the centre allowing it to spill out onto the open space much as it does in its successful Summer Day out event encompassing the whole park. There will be outdoor seating in front of the café on Rupert Road.

The use of the park by other users will be safeguarded and this proposal includes a plan to divert the existing cycle path to the south side of Rupert Road on the southern edge of what will be an ‘inclusive’ outdoor space with cars being prohibited (vehicular access being only for park maintenance). The area of Rupert Road will remain a main pedestrian access to Whittington Park.

The third small extension will be adjacent to the proposed new lift where the support spaces are located. There is currently a two storey meeting room at the north wing of the building in addition to a boiler room and store and small office in a single storey space with large open to ground floor roof void. The proposals unite the current first floor offices and roof void to create a continuous first floor which will link with Hocking Hall and the new lift.

The extension of this roof void provides access to the lift at first floor and includes a small meeting room. At Ground Floor at the same location the store/office roof void will be demolished reducing the volume of the building envelope also between Hocking Hall, 86a Yerbury Road and the park. The roof will be replaced with a green roof.

architectsnetwork Design and Access Statement (Planning Application Submission) January 2015

The areas for extensions and their effect on the total Gross Internal Area are as follows:-

Table 1 Gross Internal Floor Areas Area/m2

As Existing Site Area 776.0

As Existing total Gross Internal Floor Area 801.7

As Proposed total Gross Internal Floor Area 873.8

Extensions/proposed covered yard

1. Entrance porch 4.2

2. Internal Circulation New Entrance XX30.2

3. Meeting Room & WC/shower (adjacent lift) XX34.3

4. First Floor Kitchen XX5.9

Mezzanine (within existing Dining Hall) XX28

Summary

The increase in area is minimal as the main thrust of the proposals is to make the existing building more efficient by internal alteration.

architectsnetwork Design and Access Statement (Planning Application Submission) January 2015

Layout of Public and Private Space on the site

The site is almost entirely taken up by the footprint of the existing buildings except for the entrance path to the centre, the uncovered service yard at Hocking Hall, the outdoor amenity space which forms the private play area for the Nursery.

The Nursery and its outdoor play space, which wraps around the existing building on Yerbury and Rupert Road elevations, are retained as existing. Local improvements will be made for accessibility and the existing centre entrance will be relocated to Rupert Road facing the park.

The Entrance to the Centre is to be relocated to Rupert Road which will be an inclusive access surface for the Centre and the visitors to the Park. The approach to the entrance therefore will be in the public domain and a new porch entrance structure is located on what is currently local authority pavement.

It is proposed that vehicles will be prohibited from the area and four parking spaces omitted on Rupert Road. The cycle path will be rearranged locally to be a marked cycle path on the edge of the park at the southern pavement of Rupert Road up to the junction to Rupert and Yerbury roads.

This rearrangement will effectively create a new public space to benefit the users of the centre, the users of the cafe, cyclists, and pedestrians entering the park. The main centre entrance will then be directly facing a Whittington Park inclusive entrance surface. This would provide a pedestrian zone onto which the café and entrance would provide a welcoming inside/outside extension to the public domain of park and community centre.

DRAWING OF SITE PLAN PROPOSED WITH CYCLE PATH & INCLUSIVE ACCESS

architectsnetwork Design and Access Statement (Planning Application Submission) January 2015

Ground Floor

The Ground Floor plan concept emphasise the four large spaces as existing and seeks to enhance their use as multi-purpose rooms served by supporting service rooms. The Multipurpose rooms will have built in storage to allow multi-functioning bookings ranging from yoga to martial arts, after school clubs and older people’s lunch.

In order to be a sustainable community centre it is important to achieve separate access to each space either from an external entrance or preferably an internal access from the central reception hub. In order to create this we have covered over the passageway/yard to form a new circulation corridor which doubles as internal access to multi-use rooms namely Hocking Hall and Café.

It is also important to facilitate private 'out of hours' bookings which is why Hocking Hall retains its original ground floor to street entrance and first floor to street, stair and entrance.

In addition to these Hocking Hall and first Floor ‘Band Room’ are served by a passenger lift which provides accessible route and also an entrance from the central reception hub. It also provides a link to the catering kitchen to broaden the potential uses for independent use of the Band Room for catered functions.

DRAWING OF GROUND FLOOR PLAN PROPOSED

The Ground Floor also retains two other large spaces which can be seen long term as multi-purpose but also which currently satisfy an enduring function one being the ‘Lounge’ which accommodates older peoples activities, and the Nursery. The Nursery is self-explanatory and is currently a statutory compliant private nursery for children aged 6 months to 5 years. This has self-contained young people’s toilets and in these proposals will have its own entrance from Yerbury Road and retain its architectsnetwork Design and Access Statement (Planning Application Submission) January 2015 dedicated outdoor play space. The second area is the ‘Lounge’ which is well located for ambulant access from a mini-bus drop off entrance at Yerbury Road, but also in these proposals has close proximity to the central reception hub and café area. Accessible toilets being on the same floor as this lounge.

A successful community centre needs a mix of spaces to have a broad appeal to its community so that group sizes can vary from an individual counselling session to a large choir practice, or training classroom environment. These smaller sized rooms and the support rooms occupy the existing smaller sectional sized volume of the building to the north and are gathered around the large multi-use spaces. To meet this need we have proposed a ‘one to one’ office/meeting room, general toilets, - administrator’s office, plant room. Children’s WC’s for older children and wet activity/craft play store are located directly off the Multi-function Room.

At the core of any community centre is the information and administration centre which if located centrally as here can double as the interface between staff, instructors and the public. The central reception hub is at the core of the facility within the existing “Dining Hall” two storey meeting space. Here we have created a mezzanine floor

First Floor

The First Floor plan concept emphasisestwo large spaces as existing. One of these spaces is the upper floor of the Nursery and which is occupied as part of the private nursery on Ground and First Floor.

The second large space in Hocking Hall there is the ‘Band Room’ referred to above. The space has an attractive roof structure giving the architectural quality of a loft space with iron trusses exposed there architectural features will be retained and the case of windows to Rupert Road they will be replaced in keeping with the period façade.

There are some smaller support rooms to the southern end of the Band Room which are retained with also two WCs as existing. There is an open set back area in the envelope façade facing the park which we propose to infill with a small extension to create a functioning servery to allow the ‘Band Room’ to support catered functions. This recess is an area of severe structural cracking at present and remodelling as proposed with a small extension would mean that in addition to stitch repairing the building that repair would provide additional useable space as a kitchenette without breaking up the integrity of the Band Room further.

Hocking Hall also has the retained feature of the existing masonry staircase with entrance direct from Rupert Road giving it sustainable increased potential use by addition of the lift. architectsnetwork Design and Access Statement (Planning Application Submission) January 2015

The large floor to ceiling heights of Hocking Hall are a great asset for a community centre allowing even ball sports on ground floor and band/choir practice at first but these storey height do not match the other Victorian parts of the building in particular the north wing. This means that the lift serves three levels and is dual access. See Section X-X

The Scale of the Buildings As proposed

The massing of the formof the building remains 'as existing' except for the extensions at Ground Floor Entrance, First Floor Mezzanine and First Floor as the covering to the yard/passageway is internal between two wings of the building and cannot be seen from outside the site. We have indicated the site constraints plan.

1. Ground Floor Entrance

A subservient extension to the building theentrance porch canopy with glazed sides forms a contemporary intervention in front of the pre-dominant restored façade of Hocking Hall and the Victorian brick and render elevation of the Nursery on Rupert Road.

3D IMAGE OF ENTRANCE IN CONTEXT WITH THE

architectsnetwork Design and Access Statement (Planning Application Submission) January 2015

The height of the entrance relates to the restored details of the façade of Hocking Hall and its junction with the existing entrance to the yard/passageway and café external wall. The render /stone cornice details, which are, as existing, partly damaged or removed, will be restored to recreate the assumed symmetry of the Hocking Hall façade historically. See Elevation A-A Drawing 12L18 PL01

Discrete security shutters will be built into the roof design to protect glazing and afford access security. The entrance will be covered by cctv from reception with electronic lock access.

2. Lift shaft Ground to First Floor Mezzanine and First Floor Band Room

As part of the structural repair works foundations to Hocking Hall need to be repaired and partly replaced. The building is also currently not compliant with accessibility standards and an access audit confirms that vertical access is only viable by a new Lift Shaft.

A new lift has been located close to the central hub reception which is also conveniently at location where the three floor levels of the building can be served by one lift. A location external to the Band Room is proposed to maintain the integrity of the internal space at Ground and First floor and maximise the multi-functional space.

The proposal is to extend this shaft to a projection of the existing roof plane of Hocking Hall as a new fair-faced brick structure visible externally and internally.

The plan position has been selected to be in the existing passageway circulation so that it is a significant distance away from the boundary with 86a Yerbury Road minimising its impact.

The location also being towards the centre of the plan means that its visibility form outside the side is reduced as it will only be seen in the background of park views and from Yerbury Road.

3D IMAGE OF LIFT SHAFT FROM REAR PARK VIEW

The lift shaft rises in are internal area of existing pitched roofs as proposed.

architectsnetwork Design and Access Statement (Planning Application Submission) January 2015

3. Meeting Room and WC/Shower Roof Extension and Mezzanine

An extension of the existing roof form above the existing “Dining Hall” uses the existing volumes of the building to create an additional mezzanine space. There are existing rooms at this level accessed from the existing stair only. It is proposed to extend this volume to form a connection with the new lift above and in doing so create a lift access to Ground Floor and First Floor (Band Room). In addition support space forming two rooms namely a meeting/seminar room and a WC shower.

The height of the extension is determined by the new extended volume being a continuation of the existing ridge line of the north wing as existing. The existing gable brickwork will be removed. The new façade is partly concealed by the retained parapet wall of the park boundary wall and 86a party wall. This new façade faces onto the new flat roof which replaces the existing lantern roof form reducing height of the building near the park and 86A. The new extension at 1.0 m above floor plane internally is proposed to be 4.65 x 4.85 m and 2.4m from First Floor Mezzanine FFL to underside of ridge internally.

The roof extension party wall detail is subject to agreement with the owner of 86a however following consultation it has been informally agreed that this wall will not continue along the garden boundary as a parapet and a conventional fascia and gutter is proposed following the same plane as the existing slate roof adjacent 86a.

The extension and new flat roof will be constructed to a high sound attenuation performance specification of 46Dba.

External condenser units for the Air conditioning will be located away from this boundary and be contained above the flat roofed areas of the Café/Kitchen roof.

architectsnetwork Design and Access Statement (Planning Application Submission) January 2015

3D IMAGE OF LIFT SHAFT FROM REAR PARK VIEW 2

The new flat roof above the WCs and homework (after school?)office will be will be a green semi-extensive roof planted to attract native species and retaining water.

4. Storage/Kitchenette Extension First Floor

An extension of the first roof form next to the existing “Band Room” uses the existing light well volume infilling existing side additions of the Hocking Hall building to create an additional support space. This will create a kitchenette and server improving the existing facilities and provide a servery for food prepared in the new catering kitchen at ground floor delivered by the new lift.

The height of the extension will be the existing adjacent fascia and gutter line. The form of the extension will be a rectangular infill with flat roof. The space created internally is proposed as 2.25 x 2.25m and 3.6m high externally. The façade will be flush with the existing adjacent walls.

There will be a window to match existing from the recessed wall to hocking hall.

architectsnetwork Design and Access Statement (Planning Application Submission) January 2015

Landscape and Protection of Public and Private Space

There is very little open space at the site at present however there are two areas which are dedicated outdoor use, the existing entrance now proposed as Nursery, deliveries, refuse and ambulant entrance for older people. This area is paved hard landscape and will remain so with level thresholds into the building. Local container planting will be maintained at this egress. The potential for wider community access has been increasing greatly since new management began to rebuild the services and broaden the spectrum of uses and the café has become a local asset to the neighbourhood. The proposals build on these successes by relocating the community centre entrance to Rupert Street.

The café will be expanded and with the proposal to turn Rupert Road into an inclusive surface it will allow the building to be more welcoming to the public and for the building to provide an inside/outside amenity to members of the public entering the park or using the community centre. Seating and tables are proposed flowing out onto the Rupert Road ‘plaza’ by relocating the cycle path to the south of Rupert Road boundary with the park.

INSERT CYCLE PLAN WITH FORCOURT AS PROPOSED

The landscape here will be inclusive high quality paving with bollard demarcation and anti-vehicular barriers to prevent access to cars and unauthorised vehicles while allowing vehicular maintenance access to the park. A change of material/pattern will architectsnetwork Design and Access Statement (Planning Application Submission) January 2015 be used to mark out the café table area. The cycle path will be marked in flooring materials and rerouting of the approach cycle path in the park will also be switched to the south side of the circular path to improved visibility and safety.

The landscape of the park side of the building will largely remain 'as existing' with mature cedar trees, hedge and native wildflower planting between the park boundary wall and the football changing room access path. A short new length of maintained path will be required between the rear park fire exit and the service path to the football changing room.

INSERT LANDSCAPE DRAWING MASTER PLAN PARK

The building occupies the majority of the site and the landscaping of the hard surfaces will be proposed in consultation with Islington Greenspace design managers. The hard landscape and replacement of Rupert Road proposal is subject to the agreement of Islington Highways Department. Design of the cycle path layout will follow Sustrans Guidelines (National Cycle Network) with reference to:-

The Highways Regulations 1996 in particular in respect of junction design of the junction of Rupert Road and Yerbury Road. A detail design will be produced in architectsnetwork Design and Access Statement (Planning Application Submission) January 2015 consultation with London Borough of Islington. Some minor modification to site-lines maybe required in respect of the park fence at the corner with Yerbury Road.

Appearance materials and architectural details

General theme

The design approach is to restore the existing building and make alterations that are in keeping with the exception of the deliberately contemporary new entrance canopy.

In particular there are extensive repairs proposed to Hocking Hall which have been the subject of a condition survey and structural monitoring historically. The philosophy for the repairs is to take a holistic approach so foundations will be replaced or underpinned where necessary and repairs undertaken where appropriate with less intervention.

Structural Design by Conisbee Structural Engineers who have expertise in restoration will provide detailed design of the structural repairs which are based on three years monitoring data. The main elevations are heavily cracked and the fair- faced brickwork with be repairs and repointed.

Rupert Street Façade

There are old repairs which have not enhance the building architectural where we propose to restore historic architectural features. Full replacement of windows to Hocking Hall will be undertaken with a sensitive approach to select frames which are sympathetic to the buildings history and character. Murals will be removed by cleaning.

The façade to Rupert Street will be restore at hocking Hall and the café elevation will be altered to provide greater inside/outside functionality. The rendered band on the lower part of Hocking Hall façade will be continued and the circular cornice feature will be restore to a full inverted semi-circle brining back symmetry to Hocking Hall while at the same time marking the location of the new entrance. Untidy vent grilles and pipes have been rationalised tidying up exiting facades retained.

INSERT detailed DRAWING FAÇADE FINISHES OR 3d STUDIES

architectsnetwork Design and Access Statement (Planning Application Submission) January 2015

Extensions

architectsnetwork Design and Access Statement (Planning Application Submission) January 2015

In terms of the new extensions their form and scale are described above.

In terms of appearance the Lift shaft, mezzanine, roof extension and kitchenette/store infill are all treated as proposed to match existing. In such cases where new vertical walls are proposed fair-faced brickwork to match existing brickwork which is a London stock brick e.g. Lift shaft. Roofs will be pitched to match existing and be covered in natural slate. The kitchenette will have a replacement window to match the existing into the Band Room and the brick and tile coping detail as existing will be replicated in the new panel of brickwork to match existing.

The new entrance is intended to be a contemporary intervention in contract to the restored façade behind it. It is proposed to be a transparent glass box with visually floating roof on circular steel columns and a white powder coated metal frieze. The glazing will be protected by concealed roller shutter white powder coated mesh.

Roof to the new covered passageway will be part flat solid roof and part clear toughened glazing

architectsnetwork Design and Access Statement (Planning Application Submission) January 2015

Consultation

As a community centre the management have consulted both the local community and their users in a number of events. Drawings of the proposals have been displayed in the community centre. The design team and management have attended local community events and district planning meetings to explain the proposals. The responses of the public, centre users and near neighbours have been recorded by WPCA and analysed the resulting findings are as follows:-

Census of Respondents to Consultation

Fully Support the scheme 121 unsure 7

Do not support the Scheme 2Total Respondents 130

Anecdotal Response to Consultation and action taken by design team

The large majority of respondents supported the proposals but also a large number expressed a strong affection for the buildings themselves even though they are in a poor state of repair. There was a feeling the buildings are a community asset which even those who do not use the centre currently regard with high value to the community architectural and as part of the heritage of the area. This follows a theme of events which have taken place at the centre and received wide acclaim such as the local history project and photography exhibition of photographs of the formation of the WPCA and early community centre events including activities.

ETC . ETC Ann I believe has a lot of archive information which could be useful for visual content here

Access implementation of ‘inclusive’ design ethos

A specialist Report has been prepared by the Centre for Accessible Environments as an audit of the existing building and the recommendations are summarised in Appendix B of their report 15 July 2014 ‘Access audit report’.

The finding for this report substantiate the brief for the alterations to the Community Centre and much of the design strategy has been involved in creating a solution to the circulation and access of the separate parts of the existing buildings on three levels. architectsnetwork Design and Access Statement (Planning Application Submission) January 2015

The design proposal have met the main requirements of the audit by uniting the access to all floors by the provision of a passenger lift with access at Ground Floor (Central Reception hub), First Floor Mezzanine (Meeting Rooms, Training Room, Nursery), and First Floor (Band Room and support spaces.

The new entrance to the Centre will have level threshold and this will give access to all parts of the centre via level corridors.

The main summary points in Appendix 2 of the report are as follows:

1. Horizontal Circulation – Continuous level or ramped circulation are provided with the exception of existing Nursery at Ground Floor which is subject to an access statement*. Temporary café ramp will no longer be required due to new circulation and external works landscape plans 2. Internal Doors – New doors are to be provided of modern specification 3. Adjustable door closers will be specified for self-closing doors. Ironmongery will be suitable for use by people with limited dexterity 4. Contrast and Surface – The finishes and colour scheme will be mindful of the needs of visually impaired by the design of visual contrast to define the architectural elements by the use of contrasting colour and tonal surfaces 5. Interior furniture – Reception desk heights will be split to have two levels for standing and seated use. Clear knee space will be left open under desks and workstations in offices and training room etc. for ease of use with wheelchairs. Guidance will be given for multiuse rooms to users to leave gangways in equipment layouts etc. 6. Switches and Controls – These will be a suitable height for wheelchair and other users 7. Signage – Signs will be clear and easily read by those with visual impairment and be adequately illuminated. Provision for eye level signs will be made. 8. Nursery), and First Floor (Band Room and support spaces. 9. Communication systems and acoustics – An internal telephone system will be installed and LAN computer network to allow communication with all parts of the building. A soundfield system will be installed in the training room. 10. Audio enhancement equipment will be available for hire or other use in multiuse spaces 11. Lighting – A new Lighting system will be installed with appropriate light levels and this will have programmable switching and scene setting capability. 12. Emergency egress – A fire strategy for the building will be displayed as signage and clear signs for visually impaired to find escape routes. Holding areas for refuge will be provided e.g. existing Hocking Hall Band Room landing. An automatic detection and alarm system will be provided to F1 standard. 13. Access statement - Where assistance is required (Nursery) an access statement will define the inclusive assisted route for a user or staff member to architectsnetwork Design and Access Statement (Planning Application Submission) January 2015

connect form Nursery into all other parts of the building and this will be defined on the plan.