Ash & Lacy Awards 2010
- Commended in the Exterior Walls Category -
Cartwright Pickard Architects for
Metropolitan Works, London Metropolitan University

Main Contractor: Mansell Construction Services Ltd

Metropolitan Works, London Metropolitan University

Metropolitan Works is London’s first Creative Industries Centre, offering digital manufacturing services, IT suites, training and workspace to local creative businesses and designers.

It is housed in a stunning new £4.5 million building designed by Cartwright Pickard Architects in the East End of London. Echoing the form making processes undertaken at the Centre, the building was conceived as a series of interlocking volumes unified with a perforated AshTech aluminium cladding. On the ground floor level a dramatic frieze by local artist Tom Price has been laser cut into the anodized AshTech aluminium panels to give the facade a sense of movement and life.

A double height workshop on ground level contains state of the art rapid prototyping and digital manufacturing equipment. Above ground, 4 storeys of office accommodation were manufactured off site in modular units to overcome issues with site access.

The centre achieves a BREEAM rating of ‘very good’. Sustainability features include green sedum roofs, rainwater harvesting and solar power contributing to hot water provision.

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