The Community Centre will be operated as a Joint Venture with trustees from the University and Cambridge City Council, and the facility will serve the new community and the wider Cambridge public.
Heather Topel, Deputy Project Director of the North West Cambridge Development said: “The proposal for the Community Centre is a culmination of thoughtful intelligent design and genuine dialogue with the local community. This aspect of the development is very much a joint venture that brings together Cambridge City Council and the University to provide a quality facility for the community, and we look forward to delivering this aspect in partnership.”
Designed by architectural practice MUMA, the single-storey building will be ideally placed within the heart of a vibrant community, close to the future market square and primary school, whilst also including space for a nursery. The Community Centre incorporates a main hall and two multi-purpose rooms which have been configured from feedback from the facility managers, representatives from potential users and local residents.
The Community Centre has been designed to meet the ambitious levels of sustainability, making use of natural daylight and ventilation, photo-voltaic panels, and outdoor spaces from within the building.
In addition to the Community Centre, an application for 232 key-worker homes by the Dutch practice Mecanoo was also approved at the local authorities planning meeting.
Works on the North West Cambridge Development infrastructure will start in 2014 with phased completions from late 2015-16.
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