Wentworth Children’s Centre (formerly Wentworth Nursery) is located in a 1930s residential block of 5 storeys, in Hackney, East London. The nursery needed to accommodate an additional 16 children and increased provision for extended days.

The completed project includes a new single story classroom space incorporating a new entrance and waiting area; administrative spaces have been relocated to improve supervision and security; existing internal spaces have been reordered to better accommodate different activities and to increase spaciousness. Daylight is maximized with rooflights and extensive windows, and access is improved throughout.

The external enveloped of the extension is a composition of coloured glazed brick on Cassland Road, with windows and coloured cladding panels above, visually separating the masonry from the ‘floating’ roof. The extension’s flat roof with oversailing eaves enhances its status as a separate but related building. The eaves also provide a degree of shelter from sun or light rain, and increase security by inhibiting climbing access to the flat roof.

Extensive design consultation was undertaken with staff, parents, governors, and representatives from the government programme Sure Start and the client The Learning Trust, as well as a specialist consultant in childcare design.