{"id":763624,"date":"2025-01-07T08:28:24","date_gmt":"2025-01-07T08:28:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/?p=763624"},"modified":"2025-01-07T12:43:35","modified_gmt":"2025-01-07T12:43:35","slug":"case-study-greenhill-building-at-harrow-arts-centre-by-chris-dyson-architects","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/specification\/case-study-greenhill-building-at-harrow-arts-centre-by-chris-dyson-architects","title":{"rendered":"Case study: Greenhill Building at Harrow Arts Centre by Chris Dyson Architects"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chris Dyson Architects won the competition to design a new building on the Harrow Arts Centre\u2019s (HAC) campus. The focus of the campus is the Grade II-listed Elliott Hall. The Greenhill Building is behind this, next to the boiler house and chimney and several low brick buildings, now artists\u2019 studios \u2013 historically part of a school and its farm. It replaced a crumbling site cabin.<\/span><\/p>\n

To make the most of the available budget, the team had to be inventive with site, form and structure and explore unconventional materials to deliver a flexible building that would be of enduring value to the local community. Our aim was to provide the spaces for yoga, workshops and celebrations that the community had asked for, while supporting HAC\u2019s aim to be more financially sustainable. The L-shaped, two-storey building maximises useable space. Two large teaching rooms on the ground floor have double doors opening onto a courtyard. Above are two top-lit teaching rooms and a small studio with a view through the trees.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s an early example of a fully cross-laminated timber structured arts centre, which was more typical in education and office buildings at that time, but offered an affordable, low-waste and low-carbon alternative to structural steel.
\n<\/span><\/span>Mathew Witts, partner, Chris Dyson Architects<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

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Project data<\/h2>\n

Start on site <\/b>2021
\nCompletion <\/b>2023
\nGross internal floor area <\/b>460m2<\/sup>
\nConstruction cost <\/b>\u00a31.8 million
\nConstruction cost per m2<\/sup> <\/b>\u00a33,910
\nArchitect <\/b>Chris Dyson Architects
\nClient <\/b>London Borough of Harrow
\nStructural engineer <\/b>Webb Yates
\nM&E consultant <\/b>Webb Yates
\nQuantity surveyor<\/strong> PT Projects
\nPrincipal designer <\/b>Chris Dyson Architects
\nApproved building inspector<\/b> Harrow Building Control
\nLandscape architect <\/b>Kinnear Landscape Architects
\nSignage and wayfinding<\/b> Studio Emmi
\nTransport planning<\/b> GHD
\nFire safety <\/b>CWB
\nCAD software used <\/b>Revit
\nAnnual CO<\/b>2<\/sub><\/b><\/span> emissions<\/b> 1.1 kgCO2<\/sub><\/span>e\/m\u00b2\/yr (operational)
\nPredicted design<\/b> Life<\/b> 60 years
\nEmbodied and\/or whole-life carbon<\/b>
\n225 kgCO2<\/sub><\/span>e\/m\u00b2 (structural)
\n144 kgCO2<\/sub><\/span>e\/m\u00b2 (non-structural)
\n369 kgCO2<\/sub><\/span>e\/m\u00b2 (total upfront)
\n300 kgCO2<\/sub><\/span>e\/m\u00b2 (sequestered)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Architect\u2019s choices<\/h2>\n

The approach is unashamedly new, but sensitive to the campus\u2019s history and patchwork of buildings. The site was once surrounded by fields. This agricultural legacy informed the L-shaped plan around a \u2018yard\u2019 and red corrugated fa\u00e7ade \u2013 we considered Cor-ten early on, which we have used previously, but the cost was prohibitive and we liked the boldness of the red fibre cement against the brick, and the fact it is an everyday, practical farm material. Throughout, the design embraces the challenge of doing more with less: creating more useful space for people, but using less material, less energy and a fully CLT structure.
\n<\/span>Chris Dyson, principal, Chris Dyson Architects<\/i><\/p>\n

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Specification<\/h2>\n

The red corrugated fa\u00e7ade is made from a fibre cement more typically used for barn roofs. The profile was selected from a brochure specified for livestock and equestrian facilities. It offers good thermal performance and protects from heat and moisture.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

All materials were selected with consideration of their future use \u2013 just as CLT can be dismantled and repurposed, the cement fibre cladding panels can be ground down to create new ones. The building itself is designed to be similarly adaptable.<\/p>\n

The serrated roof peeks above the surrounding brick buildings. Each asymmetrical pitch takes advantage of north light and glazing creates bright, top-lit rooms. The budget was focused on the elements that would most impact everyday use, such as acoustic insulation between floors so a dance class upstairs won\u2019t disrupt a life drawing session downstairs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One challenge was to manage the budget against rising material costs and availability during the pandemic. This was achieved through pragmatic material choices, close collaboration with suppliers, clear priorities and keeping our focus on the building\u2019s eventual users. For services, our design uses off-the-shelf commercial cable trays to minimise installation costs and save time.
\n<\/span>Chris Dyson, principal, Chris Dyson Architects<\/i><\/p>\n

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Selected products<\/h2>\n

Doors
\n<\/b><\/span>Dorplan
\nPuraDor in ash
\nAll rooms
\ndorplan.co.uk\/purador<\/a><\/p>\n

Floor coverings
\n<\/b>IVC
\nCommercial Optimise 70 heterogeneous vinyl floor covering, Cevennes T97
\nAll
\nivc-commercial.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Suspended lighting<\/b>
\nHilton
\n6280 Surface\/suspended. Black finish
\nGround floor
\nAll
\n<\/i><\/p>\n

Downlights<\/b>
\nJohn Cullen Lighting
\nRF2. Black finish
\nThroughout
\njohncullenlighting.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Cladding<\/b>
\nEternit
\nExternal fa\u00e7ades
\neternit.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n

Rooflights<\/b>
\nVelux
\nRoof
\nvelux.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n

Cross-laminated timber<\/b>
\nEurban
\nThroughout
\neurban.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n

Lift<\/b>
\nCibes
\ncibeslift.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Roof<\/b>
\nSarnafil
\nRoof covering
\ngbr.sika.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Chris Dyson Architects won the competition to design a new building on the Harrow Arts Centre\u2019s (HAC) campus. The focus of the campus is the Grade II-listed Elliott Hall. The Greenhill Building is behind this, next to the boiler house and chimney and several low brick buildings, now artists\u2019 studios \u2013 historically part of a …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":763782,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"ep_exclude_from_search":false},"categories":[721],"tags":[3171,1676,2408],"yoast_head":"\nCase study: Greenhill Building at Harrow Arts Centre by Chris Dyson Architects<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The new building explores unconventional materials to deliver a flexible building that provides spaces for yoga, workshops and celebrations.\u00a0Photography by David Churchill\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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