Sarah Wigglesworth Architects

Profile of Sarah Wigglesworth Architects

Business Name

Sarah Wigglesworth Architects

Location

United Kingdom

Services

Architecture

Website

http://www.swarch.co.uk

Sarah Wigglesworth

Principal(s)

Sarah Wigglesworth (born 1957)

• 1983 Diploma in Architecture, Cambridge University

George Legg (born 1977)

• 2003 RIBA Parts 1 and 2, the University of Sheffield, Distinction

Mark Hadden (born 1969)

• 1998 Diploma in Advanced Architectural Studies, The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, Scotland

Philosophy

We are an award-winning architecture practice dedicated to pursuing excellence and integrity in design and service. Established in 1994, we have designed many buildings ranging in size from L20,000 to L10 million and our portfolio includes master planning, cultural buildings, offices, private and social housing and structures for education, arts and sport. We have expert knowledge of educational and community buildings and the techniques of consultation, including developing successful methods of communication.

We are specialists in low energy and sustainable communities and in making buildings that inventively use readily-available materials; our expertise in technical innovation is reinforced by the choice of consultants with whom we collaborate. Integrative design is at the heart of everything we do and this involves clients and users as much as other technical advisors. We bring a high level of commitment and ambition to all projects and, working closely with stakeholders and communities, we aim to create environments that are valued by and meaningful to users, can be achieved with modest means and can be maintained economically.

Well known projects are the award-winning Straw Bale House and Quilted Office: 9/10 Stock Orchard Street, completed in January 2001 (RIBA Sustainability Award 2004, Civic Trust Award 2003 and FS/Blueprint Best Residential Building of the Year 2001) and the new studios and offices for the Siobhan Davies Dance Company in Southwark, which won an RIBA Award in 2006. We have also just completed Cremorne riverside boating centre for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, on the north bank of the Thames, for both able bodied and disabled pupils from the local area.

Currently our workload includes the design of a Visitor Centre in Ray Park, Redbridge, a landmark building to house the National Disabled Arts Archive and Collection in Holton Lee, Dorset; a junior and infants school in Wakefield, West Yorkshire and a Health Learning Station in Torfaen, South Wales.

Expertise in Sustainability

Our special strength is in designing for low energy and for sustainable communities, thinking that is now firmly located at the heart of everything we do. The benefits of low-energy design are the pay-back through improved performance, comfort, low running costs and user control. To promote this we are integrative thinkers because we approach a project holistically. This means working closely with our team members to develop ideas collectively and to incorporate this thinking at the earliest stage of the design process. There is no one-size-fits-all solution and it is important to establish early on the suitability of particular sustainable approaches to development and technologies in relation to these issues.

Sarah Wigglesworth Architects present unparalleled credentials in delivering sustainable environments. SWA are renowned for their innovative approach to sustainability which is characterised by making buildings that inventively use readily-available materials in exciting new ways. In recognition of our work in this area Sarah Wigglesworth Architects won the RIBA Sustainability Award in 2004 for a mixed use house and office at 9/10 Stock Orchard Street. We have an extensive technical library and knowledge of green materials which supports this work. We are also members of the Association of Environment Conscious Builders.

Background

• Founded: 1994
• Offices: 1
• Design team: 8

Key projects

• Siobhan Davies Dance Studios, London, UK, 2002-2005, Siobhan Davies Dance Studios and Offices
• Cremorne Riverside Centre, London, UK, 2003-2007, Canoeing Centre
• King's Lane Warehouse, Wales, UK, 2007 - ongoing, feasibility study, Print Workshop
• National Disability Arts Collection and Archive, Holton Lee, Dorset, UK, 2005 - ongoing, building to house the first National Disability Arts Collection and Archive
• Classroom of the Future, Mossbrook Special School, Sheffield, UK, 2001-2003, a special primary school teaching mainly autistic children
• Sandal Magna Primary School, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, UK, 2005 - ongoing, 1-form entry Junior and Infants school
• Heathfield Children's Centre, Richmond Upon Thames, London, UK, 2007-ongoing, new Children's Centre and Nursery School
• Ray Park Visitor Centre, Redbridge, London, UK, 2006-ongoing, Community Facility
• The Straw House and Office, London, UK, 1998-2001, house and office
• Castleford Urban Regeneration Project,West Riding, Yorkshire, UK, 2003, Masterplan for the riverside area and Duck Island

Key publications

• 9-10 Stock Orchard Street, a guidebook, Guidebook by Jeremy Till and Sarah Wigglesworth, Bank of Ideas, London 2001, 24pp. ISBN 0-9541362-0-9
• 'The Everyday and Architecture' Issue of Architectural Design guest edited jointly with Jeremy Till. Published by John Wiley & Sons, July/August 1998. ISBN 0-471-98424-8
• 'Significant Others' Chapter in Desiring Practices: architecture, gender and the interdisciplinary. Sarah wigglesworth with Duncan McCorquodale and Katerina Ruedi of Proceedings of the Desiring Practices Symposium. Published by Black Dog Publishing, March 1996.
• 'Critical Practice', Chapter in book entitled Critical Architecture, edited by Jane Rendell & Murray Fraser published by Routled by Routledge (Taylor & Francis) September 2007
• 'The Future is Hairy' Jeremy Till and Sarah Wigglesworth, in Architecture: The Subject is Matter, editor Jonathan Hill, (Routledge, London 2001) pp 11-28.
• 'Table Manners' Article written jointly with Jeremy Till for 'The Everyday and Architecture' an issue of Architectural Design guest edited jointly with Jeremy Till. Published by John Wiley & Sons, July/August 1998, pp 31-35. ISBN 0-471-98424-8
• 'On viscerality: dancing and building' Article about working on the Siobhan Davies Dance Studios published privately in Coming Soon, a consultation project by Paul Gazzola, published in association with Berliner Kulturveransstaltungs-Gesellschaft mbH, August 2006, pp 10-14.
• 'The Background Type', Jeremy Till and Sarah Wigglesworth, in Accommodating Change, ed. Hilary French (Architecture Foundation/Circle 33, London, 2002) pp 150-158.
• 'Cuisine and Architecture: a recipe for a wholesome diet', Article concerning the relationship between cookery and architecture. Architectural Design edition entitled 'Food and Architecture', edited by Karen A. Franck. Wiley Academy, December 2002, pp 102-105. ISBN 0-470-84570-8.

Key awards

• 2006, RIBA Award, London, UK
• 2005, Runner up in the Stephen Lawrence Award for the best building under L350K awarded to Mossbrook Special School Classroom for the Future, London, UK
• 2005, RIBA Award for Mossbrook Special School, Classroom for the Future, London, UK
• 2005, RIBA White Rose Award for Mossbrook Special School, Classroom for the Future (Best Educational/Medical Building), London, UK
• 2005, RIBA White Rose Award for Mossbrook Special School, Classroom for the Future (Client of the Year), London, UK
• 2004, RIBA Regional Award for 9/10 Stock Orchard Street, London, UK
• 2004, 9/10 Stock Orchard Street won the RIBA's Sustainability Award, part of the Stirling Prize award Special Prizes category, London, UK
• 2001, FX/Blueprint Best Residential Project of 2001 SWA winner for 9-10 Stock Orchard Street, London, UK
• 2002, Civic Trust Award, Awarded to 9-10 Stock Orchard Street, London, UK
• 2002, Royal Fine Art Commission Building of the Year, 9-10 Stock Orchard Street shortlisted finalist for Building of the Year Award, London, UK