Wood In Architecture Issue 1, 2023

BIG PICTURE
of a neighbouring mature Common Lime
tree. The architects used this momentary
squeeze in the plan created by the sweeping
concave glass as an opportunity to divide the
pavilion. A pivoting timber door hangs flush
with wall joinery and swings across to create
a flexible private events space, offering a
community asset while also future-proofing a
further revenue stream for the library. A long
colonnade stretches the length of the new
extension, featuring a gently graded natural
stone walkway to ensure level access to the
rear event space. A facade of zig-zagging red
precast concrete panels and columns nods
to the tone of the brick used in the existing
library, and conceal drainage which captures
and redirects water down to the tree roots
below the building.
Accessibility is central to the success and
popular use of the Lea Bridge Library Pavilion.
Studio Weave designed two new access points
to draw visitors in through the gardens at
the side and rear of the site, bypassing the
library’s quiet zone. The main entrance and
foyer on Lea Bridge Road were refurbished to
include new wash facilities, buggy parking and
an upstairs staff room. From the foyer, the new
cafe welcomes visitors before opening into the
main space. A continuous wall of fluted timber
joinery connects bookshelves with in-built
banquette seating, creating interspersed open
reading rooms. The open plan layout can be
adapted for a range of cultural, recreational
and community activities and be used at
different times of day by different local groups
and library users.
The architects’ approach to sustainability
can be felt throughout the building. Studio
Weave balanced a light, open-plan community
space that benefits from a considered passive
cooling strategy supported by mechanical
heat recovery ventilation (MVHR). The ceiling
is positioned to protect the exposed aggregate
floor from direct sunlight, and the continuous
glass wall opens at intervals to allow for
natural cross ventilation.
Reuse is a strong theme throughout the new
pavilion. All internal joinery and furniture
timber were salvaged from trees felled across
the publicly owned streets and parks across
London in an effort to reduce the carbon
footprint of the pavilion and reuse existing
waste materials. The species of trees salvaged
include London plane, poplar, sycamore, ash,
holm oak, turkey oak, sequoia, horse chestnut
and more, and add a variety of textures and
tones to the custom-designed fitted and
loose furniture. Studio Weave worked closely
with local furniture maker Sebastian Cox,
designing an in-built banquette with fluted
timber shelving that stretches along the
pavilion, reinforcing the link to the library
while creating a natural visual language which
is echoed by the trees outside in Friendship
Gardens. Sebastian Cox also designed custom
tables, chairs and sofas for the new space, all
crafted from 25m 3 of waste timber.
The project is a community element of
the Borough of Waltham Forest’s cultural
regeneration, supported by £411,000 from
the Greater London Authority’s Good Growth
Fund. Studio Weave is now working on the
second phase of the library’s development,
re-landscaping the garden and adding in play
facilities to be delivered by summer 2023.
The extension has revived the library as a key
cultural and community hub through which
social cohesion is fostered, offering events,
activities and opportunities to empower
local residents. Where the library offers
access to a wealth of knowledge, Studio
Weave’s architecture offers an open public
asset and space for the community to share
experiences.
5
3 All internal joinery
and furniture timber
was salvaged from
trees felled across
London streets and
parks
4 Large windows
for users to enjoy
the fresh air and
sunshine
5 Cantilevered beams
of high-strength LVL
Alpa Depani, head of strategic planning and
design at Waltham Forest Council, concluded:
“The Lea Bridge Library extension is a warm
and generous addition that responds with
care to both the existing historic building,
and the garden with its mature trees. It
embeds sustainable principles and has been
transformative in terms of opening up the
possibilities for community life and activity,
as proved by its popularity with a range of our
residents.”
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 1– 2023 19