BEACON BUSINESS INNOVATION HUB : REDBRIDGE, LONDON

Sectors : Learning

Client : London Borough of Redbridge

Beacon Business Innovation Hub is designed as a specialist educational provision known as an ‘Alternative Provision’ as well as a facility in the evening for ‘Gifted and Talented’ students.

The pupils are taught in smaller groups with more specialist one-to-one teaching. The facility provides a number of conventional sized classrooms, break-out rooms, ‘coaching booths’ for one-to-one work, a ‘chill-out’ room, a café area with banquette seating to encourage social interaction, a teaching kitchen, a computer and homework room called ‘the cave’ which is decorated entirely in black to aid concentration.

Two large open areas on the first and second floor to provide art teaching space and a circular group work area.

Architecturally the building was designed in a similar style to the years 9-12 ‘High School’ block, completed shortly before construction of this building commenced. The principle elements are a brick ‘plinth’ to the ground floor in dark engineering bricks, and render to the first and second floors in an innovative dark purple colour, designed to emulate the High School design but distinguish this building from it using the colour.