Architect: Architype
Client: Tower Hamlets / Mulberry Academies
Contractor: Kier
Ion Acoustics were awarded best small consultancy by the ANC for this passivhaus secondary school in London, as well as highly commended in the Sustainability awards.
Mulberry Academy London Dock is a 1150-pupil PassivHaus secondary school located on a very compact urban site in Wapping. The site is affected significantly by road traffic noise, but also overlooked by immediately adjacent sensitive housing. This raised acoustic challenges to control noise affecting teaching spaces and outdoor areas, and controlling plant noise emissions from the site while achieving PassivHaus standard school over six storeys, including two basement levels.
We were involved from the very start to develop the footprint of the building as a barrier block and were closely embedded with the design team throughout a very collaborative design process where acoustics was always at the forefront. The client was not willing to compromise on acoustics, light or the outdoor areas, which led to a long design process, followed by a lengthy construction stage. It has resulted in amazingly light and quiet indoor teaching rooms which has been well-received by the teachers, pupils and visitors alike, and a variety of very successful acoustically protected outdoor spaces.
This is a great example of regeneration of a small, acoustically compromised site to provide high quality teaching accommodation.
Images: Tim Pestridge