Kingston Quaker Centre

London, UK

A joint winner of the 2015 ACE/RIBA award for religious architecture, the Kingston Quaker Centre is the new home of the Religious Society of Friends Kingston Local Meeting.

Our design process was guided by an understanding that the planting will be maintained by volunteers. The naturalistic landscape setting has allowed Friends to settle in and start using the indoor and outdoor spaces, rather than provide a fully developed garden.

Native hedgerows provide ecological value and enhanced security to the site, framing native woodland planting, a wildflower meadow and a lawn for social and spiritual gathering. A coppiced woodland in the forecourt creates an entrance to the centre that feels cultivated rather than formal.