Bath-based housing association and housebuilder Curo has been given the go-ahead to build a showpiece community hub at its Mulberry Park development on the outskirts of the city.
The £10m building – described as iconic by Curo – will be home to a new 210-place primary school and 70-place nursery as well as state-of-the–art community facilities.
The buildings, commissioned by Curo and designed by internationally renowned architects BDP, will sit at the heart of the Mulberry Park development fronting onto a new public square.
The community hub is central to Curo’s ambition for the development of the 48-acre former Foxhill MoD site. It is 10 times larger than the community building required by the original outline planning consent for Mulberry Park.
It will be for use by residents of the 700 homes planned for Mulberry Park along with people living in Foxhill and Combe Down – helping drawing the communities together.
Curo chief executive Victor Da Cunha said: “We’re thrilled that Bath & North East Somerset Council has approved our ambitious plans for a new community hub at Mulberry Park.
“The development of these iconic buildings underlines Curo’s ongoing investment in the local community. We look forward to seeing the buildings buzzing with activity when they open in 2018.”
Local people have been key to the development of the community hub, from helping to select the architects to commenting on building designs.
In July last year they participated in a workshop to develop a vision for the community building as “a warm and beautiful place that the community can feel proud of”.
This vision inspired BDP to develop designs for high-quality, flexible spaces that bring people together.
Designed as a beacon for the local community, the striking buildings will be marked out from new homes by distinctive perforated copper alloy panels.
Large expanses of glass will create light-filled spaces on the ground floor including a café, meeting rooms and multifunctional spaces. The cantilevered second floor of the hub building will be home to an enterprise area providing space for a range of businesses.
A new public square will provide space for the community to meet and gather and to host events and markets. It will also provide a safe space for children to play before and after school. The primary school building will benefit from high-quality classroom and play spaces, including a new sports pitch.
Architect Chris Kenny, who works in BDP’s Bristol office, said “This is a unique project which will become a focal point for the communities of Foxhill, Combe Down and Mulberry Park.
“There has been a lot of community engagement from the outset to ensure that the design provides the facilities that the community will use and a building that they can feel proud of.”
Curo is working to bring on board partners to provide a range of services and activities from the new community hub when it opens in September 2018.
Some 30% of the homes at Mulberry Park will be for social rent or shared ownership.
