Chris Dyson Architects won the competition to design a new building on the Harrow Arts Centres (HAC) campus. The focus of the campus is the Grade II-listed Elliott Hall. The Greenhill Building is behind this, next to the boiler house and chimney and several low brick buildings, now artists studios historically part of a school and its farm. It replaced a crumbling site cabin.To make the most of the available budget, the team had to be inventive with site, form and structure and explore unconventional materials to deliver a flexible building that would be of enduring value to the local community. Our aim was to provide the spaces for yoga, workshops and celebrations that the community had asked for, while supporting HACs aim to be more financially sustainable. The L-shaped, two-storey building maximises useable space. Two large teaching rooms on the ground floor have double doors opening onto a courtyard. Above are two top-lit teaching rooms and a small studio with a view through the trees.Its an early example of a fully cross-laminated timber structured arts centre, which was more typical in education and office buildings at that time, but offered an affordable, low-waste and low-carbon alternative to structural steel.Mathew Witts, partner, Chris Dyson ArchitectsAdvertisementProject dataStart on site 2021 Completion Gross internal floor area 2Construction cost 1.8 millionConstruction cost per m2 3,910Architect Chris Dyson ArchitectsClient London Borough of HarrowStructural engineer Webb YatesM&E consultant Webb YatesQuantity surveyor PT ProjectsPrincipal designer Chris Dyson ArchitectsApproved building inspector Harrow Building ControlLandscape architect Kinnear Landscape ArchitectsSignage and wayfinding Studio EmmiTransport planningFire safety CWBCAD software used RevitAnnual CO2 emissions 1.1 kgCO2e/m/yr (operational)Predicted design Life 60 yearsEmbodied and/or whole-life carbon225 kgCO2e/m (structural)144 kgCO2e/m (non-structural)369 kgCO2e/m (total upfront)300 kgCO2e/m (sequestered)Architects choicesThe approach is unashamedly new, but sensitive to the campuss history and patchwork of buildings. The site was once surrounded by fields. This agricultural legacy informed the L-shaped plan around a yard and red corrugated faade we considered Cor-ten early on, which we have used previously, but the cost was prohibitive and we liked the boldness of the red fibre cement against the brick, and the fact it is an everyday, practical farm material. Throughout, the design embraces the challenge of doing more with less: creating more useful space for people, but using less material, less energy and a fully CLT structure.Chris Dyson, principal, Chris Dyson ArchitectsSpecificationThe red corrugated faade is made from a fibre cement more typically used for barn roofs. The profile was selected from a brochure specified for livestock and equestrian facilities. It offers good thermal performance and protects from heat and moisture.All materials were selected with consideration of their future use just as CLT can be dismantled and repurposed, the cement fibre cladding panels can be ground down to create new ones. The building itself is designed to be similarly adaptable.The serrated roof peeks above the surrounding brick buildings. Each asymmetrical pitch takes advantage of north light and glazing creates bright, top-lit rooms. The budget was focused on the elements that would most impact everyday use, such as acoustic insulation between floors so a dance class upstairs wont disrupt a life drawing session downstairs.AdvertisementOne challenge was to manage the budget against rising material costs and availability during the pandemic. This was achieved through pragmatic material choices, close collaboration with suppliers, clear priorities and keeping our focus on the buildings eventual users. For services, our design uses off-the-shelf commercial cable trays to minimise installation costs and save time.Chris Dyson, principal, Chris Dyson ArchitectsSelected productsDoorsDorplanPuraDor in ashAll roomsdorplan.co.uk/puradorFloor coveringsIVCCommercial Optimise 70 heterogeneous vinyl floor covering, Cevennes T97Allivc-commercial.comSuspended lightingHilton6280 Surface/suspended. Black finishGround floorAll DownlightsJohn Cullen LightingRF2. Black finishThroughoutjohncullenlighting.comCladdingEternitExternal faadeseternit.co.ukRooflightsVeluxRoofvelux.co.ukCross-laminated timberEurbanThroughouteurban.co.ukLiftCibescibeslift.comRoofSarnafilRoof coveringgbr.sika.com