Chadwell Heath scheme is backed by £2m in government funding
RCKa has submitted proposals for the redevelopment and refurbishment of a disused community hall in east London to create a new facility for young people.
The practice’s plans for Padnall Hall in Chadwell Heath will upgrade and overclad the building on the Marks Gate Estate to provide a ”more characterful and visually attractive” structure with a series of flexible spaces for a wide range of uses.
Its vision – which is backed by £2m from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s Youth Investment Fund – features a main hall, a multimedia studio, a common room, a kitchen and toilet facilities.
RCKa is targeting a BREEAM “excellent” rating for the project, commissioned by the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham’s regeneration company, Be First.
Practice director Dieter Kleiner said the design approach for the scheme had put young people at the heart of the process.
“Social value is intrinsic to our proposals, and we are excited by the opportunities to empower local young people in the design and future operation of their new building,” he said.
RCKa was appointed through the Mayor of London’s Architecture & Urbanism Framework.
Amandeep Singh Kalra, associate director of place and design at Be First, said there had been a great deal of interest in the project and that RCKa had been chosen because of its passion for meaningful community-led design and track record for repurposing existing spaces.
“A crucial aspect of our project is to minimise its operational emissions, with the goal of achieving our first-ever retrofitted BREEAM building in the borough,” he said.
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