Wicksteed Park Learning Space
Architect: Lathams
Location: Kettering, Northamptonshire, UK | View Map
Project Year: 2019
Category: Exhibition Centres
Parks/Gardens
Art Galleries
新的学习空间补充了现有的开创性的混凝土小屋，由查尔斯·威克斯泰德在20世纪20年代早期设计和建造，作为大规模生产的预制房屋的原型。
The new Learning Space complements the existing pioneering concrete cottages, designed and built by Charles Wicksteed in the early 1920s as prototypes for what were intended as mass produced prefabricated houses.
简报要求有一个大的灵活的多用途空间，能够满足广泛的学习场景和画廊空间，使艺术作品得以展示。一个光和通风的环境是一个先决条件，有一个明确的目标，即该建筑应该是一个启发性的学习空间，年轻人和老年人。储藏室和辅助设施也是简报的重要组成部分，包括无障碍厕所、小厨房和桌椅储藏室，以及特定学习资源的储藏室和货架。
The Brief called for a large flexible multi-use space, with the ability to cater for a wide range of learning scenarios and a gallery space, enabling artwork to be displayed. A light and airy environment was a pre-requisite, with a stated ambition that the building should be an inspirational learning space for both young and old. Storage and ancillary accommodation also formed a key part of the brief, including accessible WC, kitchenette and table/chair storage, as well as storage and racking for specific learning resources.
拟建学习空间的地点是被拆除的车库建筑所在地，位于历史悠久的威克斯泰德公园中心地带。该遗址位于历史悠久的“八角形”内，由修剪过的树篱所界定，旁边是一对早期的混凝土小屋，屋顶有褶皱的石板屋顶，毗邻第三间混凝土小屋，尽管后者的屋顶是平的。重要的是，拟建的建筑能够参考这些历史悠久的混凝土小屋，舒适地坐落在历史中心，同时也为学习提供了灵活的现代环境。
The site for the proposed Learning Space was the site of the demolished garage building, within the historic heart of Wicksteed Park. The site lies within the historic ‘octagon’ defined by clipped hedgerows, alongside the pair of early concrete cottages with hipped slate roofs and adjacent to a third concrete cottage, albeit the latter has a flat roof. It was vital that the proposed building was able to reference these historic concrete cottages and sit comfortably in the historic heart, whilst also providing a flexible modern environment for learning.
该项目涉及一段重要的研究和开发阶段，参考了公园的大量档案，这些档案被证明是一个信息宝库，包括历史照片、社会记录和历史文献。对公园发展的深入了解对于确保开发出一个明智的设计解决方案至关重要。在设计开发阶段，最初的意图是为21世纪建造一座新的预制混凝土建筑，与大约100年前建造的早期混凝土小屋并排而立。探讨了一些可能的设计解决方案，并与一些预制混凝土专家进行了详细讨论，但在相当有限的预算内实现混凝土建筑的任何前景都证明是不可能的。在用尽了混凝土建筑的所有可能性后，考虑了其他施工方法，包括钢框架和木框架结构。然而，这座建筑的规模相当小，这意味着框架结构也不具有成本效益。最后，采用了空心墙结构，结合经济高效的木材“剪刀”桁架，使天花板得以提升/拱形，同时提供了一个干净、无结构的空间，净跨度约为9米。
The project involved a period of significant research and development, with reference made to the Park’s extensive archive which proved to be a mine of information, with its historic photographs, social records, and historical documentation. A deep understanding of the Park’s evolution was crucial to ensuring an informed design solution could be developed. During the course of the design development phase, the initial intention was to create a new pre-cast concrete building for the 21st century, to stand alongside the early concrete cottages built almost 100 years earlier. A number of possible design solutions were explored, and detailed discussions were held with a number of pre-cast concrete specialists, but any prospect of achieving a concrete building within the fairly constrained budget proved impossible. Having exhausted all possibilities for a concrete building, alternative methods of construction were considered – these included steel and timber frame construction. However, the fairly modest scale of the building meant that frame construction was not cost effective either. In the end, cavity wall construction was adopted, combined with cost effective timber ‘scissor’ trusses which enabled the ceiling to be raised/vaulted, whilst comfortably providing a clear, structure free space, with an clear span of circa 9m.
从外部看，这座建筑是用天然石板覆盖的——这为这对混凝土小屋提供了参考，它们的屋顶是用天然石板砌成的。除了一个入口门和一个连接室内和室外学习空间的双折叠门的战略性放置的大开口外，自然光通过许多屋顶灯进入大楼。这些提供了高水平的日光，并结合视觉冲击声学穿孔天花板，服务于创造宽敞，视觉有趣的内部。该计划入围2019年AJ奖：25万英镑以下项目。
Externally, the building was covered in natural slate – this provided a reference to the pair of concrete cottages, with their hipped roofs in natural slate. With the exception of an entrance door and strategically placed large opening with bi-folding doors which links indoor and outdoor learning spaces, natural light enters the building through a number of rooflights. These provide high levels of daylight and, combined with the visually striking acoustic perforated ceiling, serve to create spacious, visually interesting interior. The scheme was shortlisted for AJ awards 2019: Project under £250K category.
Text: Chris Twomey, Director, Lathams
