Sculptural heat and energy plant, dressed in a perforated metal skin, with integrated community uses – a café and early years nursery.

Lendlease
Elephant & Castle, London
25,000 square feet

“With masterly skill and compositional finesse, these British architects have designed a power plant to function as a community heart for the newly developed neighbourhood at Elephant Park in London.” domus 1009, January 2017
  • Combined heat and power plant serving homes and businesses across Elephant Park
  • Plant will use natural gas and biomethane to deliver low carbon heat and hot water
  • Serves almost 3,000 homes, with capacity to serve a further 1,000
  • Single four-storey building with energy centre and café over the two lower levels, and a nursery on the upper floors
  • New pocket park will act as a spill-out area for the café
  • Lightweight, semi-translucent outer envelope encloses a more robust and solid core

Client: Lendlease
Structural Engineer: Robert Bird Group
Environmental Engineer: TUV-SUD
BREEAM/Sustainability: RSK Environmental Consultants
Landscape Consultant: Gillespies
Community Engagement: Soundings
Specialist Energy Design: Eon Energy

Related work

Harold Moody Health Centre
Energy Hub wins RIBA Regional Award The Energy Hub has been given a RIBA Award in the London South East category
Energy Hub Shortlisted We are pleased to announce that the Energy Hub has been shortlisted for the RIBA Regional Award South London 2020
Johnny peering into the Energy Centre
Model development
Model development
@elfed_
@ste_murray From the Archive: [Facade]
@hhayward1 Facade study model on its way to the NLA Best Building and projects exhibition at The Building Centre #winnerwinner #NLAAwards19
@ste_murray From the Archive: [Facade]
New London Awards 2019 Winner Holly collects the award for the Energy Hub, winner in the Mixed-Use category!
Treehouse As part of the Pocket Park at the Energy Hub
Finn putting the new playground at the Energy Hub to the test
Nearing completition This is a wider angle view of the building with a sense of immediate context photographed by @jackhobhouse. The playful composition of windows and the quality of the sinusoidal pleat of the skin is intended to diffuse the sense and appreciation of scale and programme.
Under construction-June 2018 A series of captured views of our Energy Hub, for @lendlease under construction and due for completion Q3/2018. The project explores ideas about identity, weight, lightness.
On site progress This snapshot of the building skin by @jackhobhouse reveals the complexity of the layered elevations with its pleated perforated skin punctured by oversized flush bonded picture windows.
Nearing Completion The view from Rodney Place looking at The Energy Centre near completion.
The Chimney The chimney of the Energy Centre.
Material Interfaces The lightweight metal vale meeting the ground precast datum.
Sinusoidal Backdrop The Energy Centre as a backdrop to the preserved and existing trees on site.
Perforation Blend The perforated sinusoidal vale bleeds into the sky.
Office Site Visit Friday afternoon office site visit - views from the terrace.
Fixing Profiles The facade contractor's fixing profiles for the SFS.
Lightweight vs Heavy The interface between the heavy precast base of the building and the upper lightweight skin.
Sinusoidal Materials The interface between the sinusoidal perforated skin of the main body of the building and the terrace solid panels.
The Construction of the Outer Skin A site visit to see the construction progress of the outer facade skin.
The Inner Skin The application of the inner skin of the facade being applied to the SFS system.
The Precast Yard The precast being stored at the factory waiting to be transported to site.
Precast Panels in Construction Bespoke factory visit to inspect the precast panels.
The Construction of the Precast Panels The Bespoke Factory tour to see the precast panels being manufactured.
Internal Stairs The construction of the internal stairs.
A Close Up of the Tanks A shot from inside the space looking towards the EON tanks.
A Site Visit Pipework penetrating through the roof.
Steel Frame Construction The steel frame being constructed around the EON Tanks.
Cutting Out the Window The contractor drilling out a hole from the core wall to install a window.
Steel Frame Erection The primary steel structure being constructed.
In the Ground The concrete ground slab being cast.
Material Palette Samples curated into the Energy Centre materials palette.
Site Model The Energy Centre within the existing and emerging context.
Street Views View from Rodney Road.
Street View The approach to the Energy Centre from Rodney Place.
Massing Development Detailed massing iterations.
Material Compositions Testing how light permeates through a double skin facade.
Material Compositions Testing the plinth and panel material and textures.
Initial Massing Models Massing progression using the internal programme to push & pull the massing.
Massing Diagrams Diagrams to sum up the massing principles.
Massing Options Initial massing models exploring the relationship between the Energy Centre and the community facilities.

Energy Hub