Peacehaven Gateway Cafe East Sussex, Shortlisted Building, UK Architecture News, Images

Peacehaven Gateway Cafe

Shortlisted for the Leisure Category – East Sussex design by Kaner Olette Architects

26 Jun 2015

Design: Kaner Olette Architects

Location: Centenary Park, Piddinghoe Ave, Peacehaven, East Sussex, BN10 8RJ, United Kingdom

Phone: +44 1273 575120

Gateway Cafe Shortlisted for Prestigious Award

Peacehaven Gateway Cafe, East Sussex

Kaner Olette, the RIBA chartered Architects behind the Gateway Interpretation Cafe at the Big Park, have been shortlisted for the AJ Retrofit awards 2015.

The award was created by The Architects’ Journal to recognise and reward “achievements in design, engineering and construction”. Kaner Olette Architects have been shortlisted for the leisure category for their design to convert a former parks workshop into a cafe and archaeological interpretation centre. This award seeks to reward the “ best work and the brightest thinking” and previous winners have included the Ditchling Museum of Arts and Crafts and Brighton University.

The Gateway Cafe building was originally built in 1979 to house a council maintenance depot. Features included an asbestos roof, brick walls and unattractive security fencing. On a modest budget the project was a challenge but Architect Mike Kaner is a keen advocate of retrofitting within Architecture and explains that “The benefits of re-using the existing structure reduces the requirement for demolitions, taking material to landfill as well as the cost and carbon footprint of new materials.Coupled to this the capital costs are kept down.

We also like the idea of working within the constraints of re-using buildings and the transformation that can be achieved.” By re using the original footprint of the building disturbance of the important site archaeology was also avoided. The transformation is incredible. The roof was replaced with recyclable zinc and the exterior walls insulated and clad with sweet chestnut which suits the coastal environment.

Kaner Olette believe that “ people’s lives can be enhanced through inspirational design and a close relationship with the environment.” With this in mind, the Gateway Interpretation Cafe not only contains carbon reducing features (a wood pellet stove produces hot water and heating and solar panels on the roof produce hot water and electricity) it is also aesthetically pleasing with its framed view of the South Downs National Park and ‘contemporary vernacular’. It really is a great asset, not only to the Big Park but for the local community as a whole.

Peacehaven Gateway Cafe images/information received 260615

Address: Centenary Park, Piddinghoe Ave, Peacehaven BN10 8RJ, United Kingdom
Phone: +44 1273 575120

RIBA Awards Winners

RIBA Awards 2014

Best new buildings – 2014 RIBA National and EU Award winners

The Blue Planet, Kastrup

photograph © Adam Mørk

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has revealed the winners of the 2014 RIBA National Awards, the most rigorously-judged awards for architectural excellence. RIBA National Award winning buildings set the standard for good architecture; these are projects that go beyond the brief and exceed the client’s expectation. The shortlist for the coveted RIBA Stirling Prize, sponsored by Brockton Capital, for the best building of the year will be drawn from the 56 RIBA National and EU Award winners (44 buildings in the UK and 12 buildings elsewhere in the EU).

RIBA Awards 2014:

Britten Pears Archive

photograph © Hufton Crow

Ditchling Museum of Art and Craft

photograph © Brotherton Lock

RIBA Awards : current page

The RIBA Stirling Prize is awarded to the architects of the building that has made the greatest contribution to British architecture in the past year. The shortlist will be announced on July 2015 and the prize will be presented in October 2015 in London.

Stirling Prize

RIBA International Awards

photo : Patrick Bingham-Hall