The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has named Thornsett Group Plc and the Benyon Estate as RIBA Client of the Year 2022. The annual RIBA award recognises exemplar clients who champion and commission outstanding architecture.
The joint clients commissioned Henley Halebrown to create Hackney New Primary School and 333 Kingsland Road in 2015 – a project that has since been upheld for its significant contribution to the East London community as a piece of social infrastructure.
Located on London’s Kingsland Road, this hybrid scheme skilfully combines a community-led school with 68 apartments on a complex urban site. The deliberately compact housing block – which includes 68 rented homes, 50% of which are offered below the average market rent – frees up the maximum footprint for the school, whilst also providing a substantial baffle from noise and emissions from the neighbouring busy road.
The school has been designed without inner corridors to increase visibility and foster a sense of community, whilst the centrally placed cloistered courtyard acts as the hub of this miniature village-like setup, providing a safe, open space for the children to play.
As the building meets the street below the apartments, a welcoming colonnade generously extends the pavement and provides access to the new commercial units, completing the multi-faceted urban complex.
Chair of the RIBA Client of the Year jury Denise Bennetts said:
"I thank and congratulate both Thornsett Group Estate PLC and the Benyon Estate for their commitment to addressing the local community’s needs for affordable housing and a primary school. Their resolve and dedication enabled Henley Halebrown to design and deliver visually striking and practical facilities – a critical and clever hybrid intervention that maximises the potential of an extremely complex site.”
The RIBA Client of the Year 2022 jury was chaired by Denise Bennetts, founder of Bennetts Associates; with Tracy Meller, Senior Partner at RSHP; and Dr Timothy Winter, Cambridge Mosque Trustee, Founder and Dean of the Cambridge Muslim College and winner of the RIBA Client of the Year 2021.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- Media contact: Eleanor.Finlay@riba.org.
- Download images of Hackney New Primary School and 333 Kingsland Road here.
- Previous winners of RIBA Client of the Year award include Cambridge Mosque Trust (2021), Network Rail (2019), Argent LLP (2018), Bedales School (2017), Westmorland Ltd (2016), National Theatre (2015), Manchester Metropolitan University (2014), the National Trust (2013) and the Olympic Delivery Authority (2012).
- The RIBA Client of the Year Award is sponsored by Ibstock plc. Ibstock plc is a leading manufacturer of clay bricks and concrete building products, with a proud history of nearly 200 years of manufacturing excellence. Its products and solutions are a vital and indispensable part of the built environment, the cornerstone of every building project. Operating from 38 sites across the UK, with over 150 million tonnes of clay reserves across 23 active quarries, Ibstock plc is a business at the heart of building, continuously developing solutions that take the construction industry forward. Not only delivering products that set the standard for aesthetic appeal and performance, the company also leads the way into a truly sustainable future. Its people provide the passion and inspiration that can make a real and tangible difference, constantly striving to innovate and working together with its customers, partners and suppliers. http://www.ibstockplc.co.uk
- The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a global professional membership body that serves its members and society in order to deliver better buildings and places, stronger communities and a sustainable environment. Follow us on Twitter for regular RIBA updates www.twitter.com/RIBA.
