At Butcher Bayley Architects, we’re passionate about the importance of communal spaces and venues, so when we were approached by a Cambridgeshire village charity to partner with them to advise and appraise options for the renovation or rebuild of their village hall which has reached the end of its life – we jumped at the chance.
Our core involvement within the project was to test the feasibility of different options – from rebuild to renovation – in order to produce design options and a business case that the charity’s board of trustees could evaluate in order to make an informed decision.
Working alongside a committee of volunteers who gave their time and experience, we settled on a new building design that went beyond a traditional village hall – to instead act as a vital community hub; ready for a modern world and modern communities.
Marrying heritage and contemporary design
Given the Hall’s location in a conservation village, opposite a Grade I Listed Church, we understood that it was crucial to ensure the new building design sits comfortably within the local landscape – but not by stifling a contemporary feel. Our design reflected this, providing a modern look, inspired by traditional rural and residential forms.
The contemporary nature of the design is also reflected in the sustainability aspirations of the projects – with the charity’s ambition being to achieve a zero-carbon building. The project is now at a review stage as the Charity assess their options for progressing the project.
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