Sparkenhoe Theatre

Highfields in Leicester is both deprived and diverse. At Sparkenhoe Primary School, forty different languages are spoken.

Sparkenhoe Theatre, formed by adding a trapezium shaped theatre box to a derelict tee-shaped prefab, creates a flexible, light-filled, multifunctional set of spaces for the school and its wider community.

The project embodies sustainable practice. As well as being highly insulated and using green construction materials, the retention of the original building fabric represents an intelligent re-use of embodied energy and a clever use of a tight budget. The project has turned the site from an unloved and unusable eyesore to a vibrant centre of community life.