Founded in the 1970s, the Highbury Roundhouse is an established and much-loved part of the north London community. The new building is be a local hub for the organisation, providing quality facilities for a wide range of activities for people of different ages. The new Roundhouse provides a large multi-purpose hall, dance studio, early years centre, café, youth club and offices for core staff. A new ICT suite and heritage learning facility provide a means for local people to engage with, enjoy and share their knowledge of local heritage.
Highbury Roundhouse
Client: The Highbury Roundhouse Association
Construction Value: £2.7m
Completion: Complete
Location: Islington, London
Awards:
2023 Constructing Excellence SECBE Awards:
• Building Project of the Year under £10 million (shortlisted)
• Value (shortlisted)
2023 Constructing Excellence SECBE Awards:
• Building Project of the Year under £10 million (shortlisted)
• Value (shortlisted)
Highbury Roundhouse Main-Hall
“SWA tackled a demanding brief on a constrained site and have produced an outstanding design for a sustainable, multi-use community centre”
Tony Miller for the Highbury Roundhouse Trustees
Green roof with skylights into reception below
Approach to Highbury Roundhouse
Overcoming Constraints
Site plan of Highbury Roundhouse
Section through Highbury Roundhouse and Olden Gardens SINC (Highlighting; GF Main-Hall, GF Reception and 1F Dance studio)
Located on a landlocked site, the project overcomes constraints of adjacent housing, railway infrastructure, access and contaminated buildings to provide bespoke spaces that are low-energy, hard wearing, homely and adaptable to future needs. Facing the neighbouring Olden Community Gardens,
the scheme creates new green links to encourage use of this rich natural asset.
To boost a constrained budget, we worked closely with the client to advance their Big Lottery Fund application, the grant of which forms an integral portion of the project’s funding mix.
Dynamic spaces for a diverse programme
Internal images of the Main Hall, Cafe and Dance Studio
Co-Designing with Users
We engaged users and staff to collaboratively create spaces where community outreach, social interaction and neighbourliness can take root. Locals were instrumental in creatively defining the vision, activities and spaces on offer. Users, teachers, staff, and practitioners had valuable input into the defining characteristics and key features of the range of spaces provided.
Structural expression and generous storage in the main hall
Dance studio designed alongside dancers, teachers, users, and practitioners
Construction Process
Related
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Delivering Social Value at The Highbury Roundhouse
The gateway to the Roding valley
Ray Park Visitor Centre
A park landmark and local resource
This time lapse video charts the construction of the Highbury Roundhouse purpose-built community centre during the period…