The Lexi Cinema & Hub wins 2 Brent Design Awards 2023 | RISE Blog

Written by Sean Hill | May 23, 2023

We’re absolutely thrilled that the Lexi Cinema extension and refurbishment has received two awards, Heritage & Culture as well as the People’s Choice, at the inaugural Brent Design Awards last Thursday.

^{The Lexi Cinema & Hub has won two awards at the inaugural Brent Design Awards}

Thank you to all who voted for us in the People’s Choice Award, your support is very much appreciated.

Huge thanks also to our amazing client, the Contractor CBC Design & Build, all consultants involved and Brent Council for organising what was a truly impressive awards evening. Many congrats to John Stiles, Natasha Reid FRSA, Alice Lester MBE and Ciara Whelehan for pulling this off – a fantastic achievement.

^{Aerial view of Screen 2 at The Lexi Cinema, Kensal Rise, NW London}

Humbling and inspiring speeches by Councillor Muhammed Butt, Councillor Shama Tatler and Councillor Krupesh Hirani.

The Lexi Cinema: the first cinema screen in the UK to use MVHR and Air to Air Source Heat Pump to control the internal climate.

^{Sean, Director at RISE Design Studio, and Muhammed Butt, Leader of Brent Council, at the awards ceremony}

It is London’s only social enterprise cinema, located in Kensal Rise. A treasured asset within the local community, The Lexi Cinema tasked us with revitalising a 99 square metre parcel of vacant land in the rear car park of the existing Edwardian gabled brick theatre.

Following a successful two year fundraising campaign including grants from the Brent Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy, a contribution of £50,000 from Sadiq Khan’s community fund, and local donations, The Lexi and RISE Design Studio submitted a planning application backed by 1,211 local signatories, and construction began in July 2020.

^{Sean and Imran, Directors at RISE, with Muhammed Butt Leader of Brent Council}

Located in a residential area , The Lexi Hub required a sensitive design approach to exercise consideration to the close neighbouring homes adjacent to the site. An exercise in community partnership, we conceptualised an extension that reciprocates the same care and thought for the community which is wholeheartedly shown to The Lexi by local patrons. We proposed a sunken extension, digging down 1.5 metres to reduce the new Lexi Hub’s massing, ensuring the extension sits only 2 metres above the neighbouring garden wall while also enabling level access from the car park. This strategy conceals a foundation of reinforced concrete, services and thick acoustic and thermal insulation.

^{Rosie from The Lexi, Alice Lester MBE Operational Director Regeneration, Growth and Employment at London Borough of Brent and Sean, Director at RISE Design Studio}

Key to the Client Brief were the Sustainable Strategies, which included Super-insulated walls and roof, Airtightness, Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery, Air-Air Source Heat Pump, Wildflower Sedum Green Roof.

Have you been yet?Head down and check it out – run by volunteers with all profits going to charity.

A huge thank you to our wonderful client and project team for making it such a success:

Client: The Lexi Cinema
Architect: RISE Design Studio
Structural Engineer: CAR Ltd
Main Contractor: CBC Design & Build
Services Engineer: Enhabit
Sustainability Consultant: Kaspar Bradshaw
AV Consultant: Omnex Pro Film
Cinema Technical Specialist: Sammy Patterson
Screen + Projector Pod Specialist: Powell Cinema Engineers
Intruder Alarm Specialist: NSS Security Solutions
IT Specialist: Blashford IT Support
Landscape Consultant: Dan Shea Garden Designer
Acoustic Consultant: Munro Acoustics
Approved Building Inspector: Quadrant
Wayfinding Designer: Zalacain Wayfinding

^{Sean (RISE), Rosie (Lexi), Krupesh Hirani (London Assembly Member for Brent and Harrow), Imran (RISE), Iljaz (CBC) and Musa (CBC) at the Brent Design Awards}

If you would like to talk through your project with the team, please do get in touch at mail@risedesignstudio.co.uk or give us a call on 020 3947 5886

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