Brixton Windmill

Brixton based firm Squire & Partners have collaborated with Carpenter Oak on a number of projects, from Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice and St James School’s design and technology building to their headquarters in the regeneration of The Department Store.

Working with Lambeth Council and Friends of Windmill Gardens, the centre is a simple and adaptable open plan space to accommodate school groups, adult education initiatives, community groups and local residents.

As an operational mill, the new building will also support the expansion of production to sell flour to local bakeries, restaurants and retailers, as well as running baking workshops.

The building comprises two black brick gables and dark weatherboard echoing the exterior aesthetic of the mill as well as a nod to the original miller’s outbuildings that would have once stood there. In sharp contrast, the interior is a bright, open space that showcases the simple Douglas fir frame and rafters, with tapered posts adding a subtle agricultural feel. The building runs parallel to an existing brick wall, on which steel wind braces were attached to stabilise the wall and add rigidity to the frame, allowing for minimal bracing on the cross frames.

Finished images: Jack Hobhouse