Mulberry Academy London Dock

Location: London

Brick Manufacturer: Ibstock PLC

Brick Name: Cooksbridge Yellow Clamp Stock

Architect: Architype

Brickwork Contractor: Swift Brickwork Contractors Ltd

Judges Comment:

"Mulberry, London Dock School reflects the rich history of its surroundings with great care whilst providing a high quality contemporary educational building. Careful consideration has been given to the choice of clay brick and how it is to be detailed."

Mulberry Academy London Dock is a secondary school built in a dense urban redevelopment of former docks, brick warehouses and Grade Listed buildings in Tower Hamlets. This new building will provide first class facilities to the local borough. With science labs, a multi-use sports hall and extended outdoor learning areas, this school will benefit generations of children for many years to come.

This building is one of the first Passivhaus Secondary Schools in the city of London, utilising high performance materials constructed with zero to minimal tolerance. In what was a challenging scheme to build, the efforts to overcome practical challenges during the build were groundbreaking in terms of innovation. Each element of the project’s construction had to be meticulously monitored with all penetrations to the façade sealed effectively in order to achieve Passivhaus status. Passivhaus construction is proving to be the defining method in ensuring a buildings energy efficiency and performance.

In addition to its impressive energy performance, Mulberry Academy London Dock also showcases a striking architectural design that seamlessly integrates with the aesthetic of the surrounding London Dock development. The carefully selected materials, including the distinctive clay brick façade, not only contribute to the building’s visual appeal but also play a crucial role in its Passivhaus performance, providing excellent thermal insulation and durability.

Brick forms a major part of the project with the design taking cues from the neighbouring Telford’s Yard, Pennington St Warehouse and the site’s own original Dock Wall. Each window is decorated with pre-cast concrete sills, meticulously designed to accommodate each contour of the façades piers.

Cooksbridge Yellow Clamp Stock, a London Stock type brick with a degree of variation similar to the context was chosen to reflect the industrial heritage of the area. The main north block has limited areas of recessed running bond and Flemish projecting headers in majority running bond, while the south block has limited areas of recess running bond in majority Flemish projecting headers. The existing Dock Wall was retained as an important mercantile historic element of the area, used to create an entrance zone and extension of the dining hall.

The existing London Dock wall has played witness to London’s rich merchant history, with sections of the original London Dock wall visible along the highway. One element of our works was to repair and restore the historic wall. Areas of repointing using traditional lime mortar were utilised to showcase another point in history of Bricklayers maintaining the craft of the tradesmen gone before.

The effect is an impressive civic presence that respects the unique history and architectural character of the local area, creating a welcoming and inspiring new space for students at the Mulberry Academy.