East Ham Technical College

Situated in the London Borough of Newham, East Ham

Technical College was reopened in September 2014

and is now home to over 500 students. The elegant

Victorian building was originally built in 1905 and is

now a Grade II listed building.

Rick Mather Architects retained many of the existing

features of the original building whilst the new modern

additions seek to complement and highlight these,

whilst ensuring functionality for users. Extensive areas

of glazed tiles and bricks have been repaired and

uncovered to restore the original diverse materiality

of the building. Though the south and east elevations

utilised alternative materials, they maintain the red

brick and terracotta aesthetic of the more elaborate

north and west facades.

The ironmongery package presented a challenge for

Allgood. The high usage of the building meant the

ironmongery would need to be highly functional but it

was essential that the aesthetics matched the interior

design of the building.

Whilst many of the classrooms have been modernised,

the interior designer elected to match the ironmongery

to the more classic themes of the building.

A co-ordinated antique brass finish was applied to

knob handles, numerals, hinges and door closers on

each of the wooden, white painted doors.

In the bathroom areas, where some of the original

decor was not retained, a more conventional stainless

steel finish was utilised to cubicle locks and WC turns