The Alexandra Centre is a new build and refurbishment with Sixth Form for 50 students aged 16 - 25 with profound and multiple learning disability (PMLD), autism, severe learning difficulties (SLD), providing learning, multi-agency health, therapy and short-stay accommodation.
Based in the Grade II-listed former Jack Taylor school on the Alexandra Estate, the existing building was in a poor state of repair and had suffered from several poorly conceived additions.
With the building’s fabric suffering from neglect, Haverstock sought to conserve and adapt the Grade II* listed building for modern, flexible teaching methods, with a greater emphasis on technology.
Education
London Borough of Camden
Camden Town, London, UK
£5.5m
2017
Given the nature of the site, a complex design response was required, shaped by extensive engagement with surrounding residents and business, alongside detailed consultation with stakeholders including, building users, health professionals, LB Camden’s planning and conservation officers, the original architect Neave Brown, the 20th Century Society and Historic England.
Through this democratic approach, we were able to develop a proposal that met the high standards set by the original celebrated modernist design whilst also fulfilling the ambitious brief.
Acting as a key resource for the local community, the college offers vocational training for their learners in the form of a café within the main entrance foyer of the college. The building design responds by being open with large areas of glazing for visibility and open spaces that can be separated when required, yet providing exceptional levels of security to ensure the safety of the buildings users and guests.
The project has been one of the most complex the practice has completed given the lack of precedent for the brief, the celebrated modernist setting, the multi-headed client and the severe site constraints.
The enhanced provision the school can now provide has greatly increased its longevity while maintaining the legibility of the original design, celebrating this architectural landmark.
