Focus Community Centre

If there’s one thing we’ve learned makes better buildings, it’s empathy. Architecture never happens in isolation—and simply by being interested and engaged, we’ve found it’s possible to open up the conversations that connect a scheme to its clients and community.

We believe that the more constraints there are, the better the architecture. If there aren’t any constraints, we create them. Challenging sites, existing buildings and complex briefs almost always present incredible opportunities for great design.

To limit our environmental impact, we start with what is already there. By manipulating the form and fabric of a building—whether new or existing—we can work with the existing conditions of topography, light and orientation, and harness the natural energy sources offered by air, ground and water.

If a site’s constraints guide the bigger design decisions, then it’s empathy that informs the smaller, social details. These details frame the human narratives that aren’t included in the brief, anticipating specific moments in the users’ lives.

Good architecture is as much about what happens on the building site as it is about what’s on the drawing board. By working alongside contractors as well as clients we can ring-fence the ideas and details that matter, championing quality and sustainability throughout construction.

Focus Community Centre

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Work

Focus Community Centre
West Hounslow, London

Client

London Borough of Hounslow

Located on the edge of the Beavers Estate and close to the Heathrow runways, the community centre replaces a vandalized 1970’s building and provides extended and improved services.

The centre is designed for three organisations - a youth club, the local library and Hounslow Sure Start. It will also be available for use by the wider community.

Concrete construction is used to tackle noise from the airport and provide thermal mass for our energy strategy. To make the centre accessible and welcoming, the entrance space has no security fencing to the street. Entrance-side security is provided. When the centre is not in use, easily replaceable sliding plywood shutters close over the full-height ground floor street windows, and polycarbonate sheeting protects the large areas of glazing above.