Horniman Museum and Gardens

The project formed part of the Horniman’s wider ambition to create a better link between the museum and its gardens. The aim of the proposed new community and education building was to create an inspirational learning environment, bringing the learning experience to the outside and therefore maximising the full potential of the existing garden site.

The design proposals offered a flexible and adaptable building that support the Horniman’s educational objectives. The proposals also bring back into use two much-loved existing facilities; the Dutch Barn and the Bandstand. The Horniman Gardens lie within the Forest Hill Conservation Area and are Grade II listed in the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest.

The design included a number of sustainable feature, such as timber construction methods, the use of ground source heat pumps, rainwater recycling, daylight dimmable lighting and heat reclaim ventilation.

The project was funded by Heritage Lottery Funding and Skelly & Couch provided Building Environmental, Acoustics and Services Engineering consultancy services to the client and project team.