Meadowvale Community Centre
transforming and extending an existing community centre as response to the growing needs of a local community
Charity
Sustainability
Retrofit
Meadow Vale Community CIO is a charitable community organisation operating from their community centre in Speedwell, Bristol. The existing building was constructed in the 1940’s to serve as a housing maintenance office for the council estate, and in 1985 a group of local residents formed a new organisation, Meadow Vale Community Association, to transform its use to serve the local community.
Their core purpose is to support the local community, in particular the younger and older residents, by providing a community centre for residents to use all year round.
The centre is currently used for a range of community activities, including bingo, cards, meetings and a range of sporting and children’s activities. However the number and amount of activities that can take place are limited by the size of the existing building, and it has suffered declining usage. The Association plans to revive the site by enlarging the facility to allow a greater range of activities on the site.
The building was subject to a Community Asset Transfer from Bristol City Council. Following grant funding from Ibstock Cory and Bristol Rotary, work to renovate the existing building was undertaken in 2018. Current proposals by ACA increase the capacity of the existing community offering by creating a modest, separate extension behind the existing building, linked via an enclosed corridor to minimise works to the recently refurbished building.
The new extension provides an additional multi-purpose, open-plan hall for flexible accommodation. This facilitates concurrent use of the two main rooms independently at any given time.
The extension retains the look and feel of the existing building, with a new timber raised walkway providing a connecting level access between the buildings, as well as providing an opportunity for social gatherings and signage.
The project gives Meadow Vale Community Centre a long term sustainable future and will enhance the recent works carried out to the existing building. Most importantly, it will be the response needed for a growing local community.
Our projects include the design of buildings for community groups and charities, affordable eco housing and hostels, low energy offices and commercial refurbishments.
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