A children's cooking school in Lower Clapton has won an award recognising new architectural talent.

The Hackney School of Food was awarded the Stephen Lawrence Prize on Thursday (October 13).

Previously a derelict school keeper's house and garage, the building was revamped by Surman Weston who removed the first floor to create a double-height space.

The gardens were overhauled to provide vegetable patches, greenhouses and outdoor cooking and eating spaces.

Hackney Gazette: With limited space and budget, Surman Weston retrofitted the existing building and gardenWith limited space and budget, Surman Weston retrofitted the existing building and garden (Image: Jim Stephenson)

The Stephen Lawrence Prize is supported by the Marco Goldschmied Foundation and rewards projects with a construction budget of less than £1 million.

Matthew Goldschmied, Marco's son, said: "The success of the Hackney School of Food is not limited to this one site. The architect and client have developed an inspirational blueprint to teach others how to regenerate and enliven their own communities in a similar way.

"This bold and inventive investment exemplifies the power of architecture to transform not only the building it touches, but the community it serves."

Hackney Gazette: The Hackney School of Food is a joint venture project between LEAP Federation of Schools and the charity, Chefs in SchoolsThe Hackney School of Food is a joint venture project between LEAP Federation of Schools and the charity, Chefs in Schools (Image: Jim Stephenson)

 

The annual prize was established in 1998 in memory of Stephen Lawrence, a teenager who was on his way to becoming an architect when he was murdered in a racist attack in 1993.

The Hackney School of Food is located on Oswald Street.