A community clubhouse for Harlesden Town Garden

Name of fabricator: Friends of Harlesden Town Garden
Architects and contractors: Storp Weber Architects, the Bartlett School of Architecture, Lafarge, F.H. Brundle, Lathams 
Hot dip galvanized by: Joseph Ash Medway
End client: Friends of Harlesden Town Garden
Finish provided: Hot dip galvanizing
Size and amount of steel: 72 sheets of steel

Project goals

In 2013, an open space and playground in Harlesden had become an area that was uninviting and known for anti-social behaviour. A community consultation was held to see how to improve the land, and an organisation called the Friends of Harlesden Town Garden (FHTG) was created in partnership with Crisis Brent and Brent Council to improve the parkland.

Multiple new features were to be added as part of the project including a new play area, a multi-use games area, a raised bed allotments, and a community Clubhouse. A number of volunteers, businesses, charities and educational facilities – including Joseph Ash Medway, Storp Weber Architects, the Bartlett School of Architecture, Lafarge, F.H. Brundle, and Lathams – stepped in to help with construction and funding of the clubhouse.

What happened

Designed by local Brent Architects Storp Weber as part of a research and community outreach activity at the Bartlett School of Architecture, the building acts as a central hub for visitors and gardeners. It is also used as a multi-functional, eco-friendly venue for workshops, events and meetings.

Materials and size

The main shell of the Clubhouse is a shipping container surrounded with a steel frame and timber panelled perimeter. Lafarge provided the insulation, Lathams provided the timber, and F.H. Brundle provided the steel frame which we were only too happy to hot dip galvanize.

Joseph Ash Medway collected 72 pieces of steel in total, collectively weighing 842kg, from the Bartlett School of Architecture. The team carefully hot dip galvanized the steel, protecting the steel from atmospheric attack for multiple decades. After galvanizing, Joseph Ash Medway took care of the delivery back to Harlesden.

Outcome

The Clubhouse project was completed in July 2019, and it has successfully brought together local residents and gardeners in all weathers.

The General Manager at Joseph Ash Medway said: “The Harlesden Community Garden Project is a great initiative where people can work hard, play hard, exercise, learn new skills, improve their area, and meet new people. The Clubhouse acts as a focal point for the garden and we were happy to donate our services when the School of Architecture approached us. It has been great to work in partnership with Storp Weber, Lafarge, Brundle Steel, Lathams and the students at the University. It’s also amazing to see what can be achieved when many groups – communities, organisations, businesses – pull together.”