Brent Start, Brent Council's adult learning provider are given a new home in Morland Gardens, a £43m socially focussed mixed-use scheme in the London Borough of Brent.

This new 2500m² centre will enable Brent Start to provide a high-quality service to help boost numeracy and literacy, expand its digital skills offer, provide a facility for arts and crafts and ensure more support for residents with learning disabilities. Brent Start will also manage the 700m² affordable workspace offering students and local residents a place to launch their business ideas.

The proposed scheme creates strong, active frontages that give much-needed definition to the prominent urban corner, while the vibrant façades address the colour, tone, massing and rhythm of the two churches either side of the development. The new adult education centre will be laid out on a single floor level with affordable workspaces below and new homes above. A welcoming orientation space will include a public café and will encourage people into the centre where learning spaces will be arranged around a large multi-functional space that will be the hub of the new building.

The project has been designed with sustainability at the forefront. An ambient loop heating system provides a 39% reduction in operational CO2 and extensive rooftop gardens and multiple sheltered courtyards give residents over 2200m² outdoor space, protected from pollution, promoting healthy living and biodiversity. The building will be constructed to the highest design and environmental standards and will create an exceptional building in the heart of the community.