Phoenix Garden Community Building by Office Sian Architecture + Design

Description of project by Office Sian Architecture + Design

Hidden gardens and London arches provided the inspiration for a new community building by Office Sian Architecture + Design, located in the heart of Covent Garden, London.

The Phoenix Garden Community Building is one of the only purpose-built community buildings in Camden, and replaces storage sheds and concrete hard-standing.

The client, the Phoenix Garden Trust, wished for a new building to facilitate further enjoyment of the adjoining Phoenix Gardens. This new building succeeds in providing a venue for a multitude of uses; from providing WC facilities for guests to the park, to allowing space for school visits and community parties, to education events and weddings.

The Client also required the new building to act as a beacon of what the garden itself stands for: sustainability, community, and of course, the promotion of free-to-access green spaces in the city.

High quality materials were proposed to create a robust building, suited to the nature of a busy inner-city location, and also to the needs of a client who maintains a garden throughout the year. Brickwork to match the existing low-garden walls is the primary material used for the external walls, with an archway to suggest not only an entrance, but also of a garden behind. The main facade is celebrated with white limestone lettering which references the nearby St Giles Church.

The green roof of the structure increases the planting area of the Garden by 90sqm. A lower green roof area brings an element of the foliage of the garden to the front of the building, and provides a warm introduction to the visitor. Over the years, the planting in this area of the roof will become more intense. With super-insulated walls and sustainable features such as air-source heat pumps and rainwater harvesting, the new community building was designed with sustainability as a key feature.

For the internal floor, brickwork to blend with the garden pathways is laid in intricate patterns, and when doors leading to the garden area fully open, lends to a blurring of the boundary between inside and outside space.

The ‘Phoenix’ stone lettering allowed for the opportunity to use natural materials, as well as providing a landmark feature to aid the promotion of the building and facilities for the client.