Following on from our success in the New London Awards at the end of 2021, we’re delighted to have the Nourish Hub recognised by the RIBA Journal, which has presented it with the MacEwen Award.
“Here’s the recipe for Nourish Hub. Take one council with some hard-to-let shops in an area of high social deprivation, and one charity that redistributes surplus food from farms and supermarkets, and blend well. Stir in a generous pinch of cash (£850,000) from the mayor of London’s Good Growth Fund. Add a diligent, enterprising architect – RCKa works well – to help develop a business model and then design a suitable environment. While that’s marinating, run architect-led events to whet the appetite of local people. Once the mixture is set – a pay-as-you-feel community café with a second kitchen for skills training and courses on healthy eating, and an affordable workspace on the side – decorate with bold colour and garnish with foodie frescoes. Nourish Hub is now ready to serve.”
The MacEwen Award celebrates “architecture for the common good”, the judges’ citation recognising that the model can be extended to other communities: Denise Bennetts said that “What I like is that this is utterly replicable. So many redundant spaces could be put to community use like this.”
RCKa was highly commended in the inaugural MacEwen Award in 2016, so six years on we’re delighted to have a project secure the top prize.
You can read more about Nourish Hub here.