Stratford adult education college wins AJ100 Community Impact award 2024

Mary Ward Centre, Stratford, London E15

AWW’s ‘joyful’ new premises for the Mary Ward Centre adult education college in Stratford, east London, is the winner of this year’s AJ100 Community Impact of the Year award

AWW worked with the client and its users to profoundly shape the brief before delivering a welcoming and ultra-flexible space for the college, which has relocated from central London. Judges were impressed with the shared sense of mission and purpose between client and architect to make the best of the project for the community it serves by maximising the impact of limited resources.

‘Clearly the staff and users are really enjoying their new space. There’s definitely the sense that it’s a game-changer for the organisation,’ said the judges. ‘It was wonderful to see how everyone really pushed to get the most they could from the budget by working together in a really direct way,’ they added.

The project, a conversion and extension of a long-disused office building, enabled the centre to expand its activities by accommodating a law centre, larger classrooms, a sprung floor studio and well-lit, purpose-designed art facilities, as well as a café and terrace. For the first time, the centre has toilets on every floor.

After listening to user feedback, the architects prioritised a variety of generous breakout social spaces for students wishing to spend time at the centre beyond their classes, a particularly valuable feature for the many living in temporary hotel accommodation.

Source:Nick Caville

Rated BREEAM Excellent, the project retained the original frame and reconfigured the floors, adding two new levels. Throughout, it makes effective use of donated furniture and uses a vibrant yellow to give the building a strong high street presence and aid navigation.

The centre opened in September and already 40 per cent of its 3,000 learners are from the local area. The hope is to expand to 7,000 learners in the next five years. More immediately, there are plans for a community kitchen. AWW intends to evaluate the social impact of the project and is devising its own measure after reviewing assessment methodologies. It is now working with Mary Ward Centre on a refit of the college’s Blackfriars base, informed by the Stratford design.

Judges gave a special mention to Allford Hall Monaghan Morris for Tower Hamlets Town Hall, a repurposing of the old Royal London Hospital building in Whitechapel. This important civic building and its generous public realm could, they felt, have a hugely positive impact on the community. As part of the project, the practice ‘adopted’ local secondary school Swanlea, engaging with more than 200 students as part of impressive and ongoing long-term outreach.

Shortlisted

Allford Hall Monaghan Morris for Tower Hamlets Town Hall
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