Mary Ward Centre

AWW has co-created a landmark re-invented new home for the Mary Ward Centre, which reflects and embraces the culture and the needs of both current and future occupants. Thanks to our track record in designing and delivering retro-first projects, AWW was selected to deliver the reinvention of the existing Queensway House to represent the values and ethos that the Mary Ward Centre has built over its 128-year history. With up to 5,500 students passing through its doors a year the Mary Ward Centre needed to expand and saw this as an opportunity to positive engage in a community-led regeneration project.

The retrofit vision was an opportunity to realise Mary Ward’s vision of consolidating the Centre’s sites to create a dynamic community education centre for lifelong learning. The focus to produce learning outcomes that aid individual confidence, self-awareness while promoting learning, empowerment, and social cohesion for all. Representation of the charity’s ethos whilst leaving room for its future development is the vision that acts as the backbone of this project. Another aspect of this is the revitalisation of the external look of the building – creating a strong visual presence that elevates its profile.

Our design ambition was to create a happy domesticity, non-institutional environment to accommodate those who may not feel comfortable in a traditional college space. The revitalised layout fosters a community of building users through dedicated social spaces that enable moments of pause and connection. Flexible breakout areas physically connect the teaching spaces while addressing the street beyond.

To meet the demands of Mary Ward’s burgeoning student cohort the existing structure had to be enlarged. The alternative to the proposed demolition was to completely replace the external envelope taking an approach that is environmentally driven and focusses on building a strong and recognisable identity – the vibrant theme and colour in the façade which carries through the entire building. The solution was a secondary exo-skeletal structure that fits on the outside along the Stratford High Street elevation. This means that the load of the new structure is taken through the building and to the rear.

The commitment to a design developed under a retrofirst approach drove the resultant greener, healthier and more sustainable space that occupies the site today. Our sustainability efforts for Mary Ward emphasise how it is possible to reduce embodied carbon emissions by repurposing existing concrete structures and minimising new steel usage. Using 65% of the current structure rather than producing a completely new building, cut embodied carbon from 809,932.6 kgCO2e to 283,476.4 kgCO2e – showcasing our dedication to sustainable practices.

The building has been designed to reflect the client’s core values and to revitalise the identity so that it resonates with the stakeholders. The new, highly legible, civic space is open to all and easily accessible. It includes a café and a restaurant that offer much-needed space to strengthen the sense of community for both staff and visitors.

Collaborating closely with the Mary Ward team, we've ensured the integration of distinctive features from the previous site into the new Stratford building. This reimagined facility not only enhances physical accessibility but also cultivates a welcoming environment conducive to individual growth and, foremost, a safe haven for learning. Our focus throughout this project has been on creating a space where people feel safe and prepared to engage in learning.

Key design drivers included celebrating the building's history through a retrofirst approach, utilising a bold colour palette to ensure legibility and to serve as a visual identifier. Fostering community exposure through strategic layout and fenestration along Stratford High Street. Additionally, we focused on creating flexible breakout areas to encourage social connections among building users while engaging with the broader community.