Meadows Community Centre is a mixed-use development in Cambridge combining a multi-purpose Community Hub with housing. The Arbury-based project includes 78 homes, a new Community Hub and a nursery. As well as the newbuild elements, the project provides extensive new landscaping, flood water and ecological features across the adjacent recreation space. The project is combined with another site at Buchan Street providing 28 new council rented homes, a café and retail space.

PTE’s masterplan features 78 council rented, one and two-bedroom apartments for Cambridge City Council as part of their target of delivering 500 new affordable homes across the city. The Community Hub consolidates existing local facilities into a new fit-for-purpose, highly sustainable building that can be adapted to meet changing local needs.

Views and pedestrian routes into the recreation space from the surrounding streets are increased through the careful siting of the grey and buff brick buildings in the landscape. The location of the Community Hub with its calm, elegant window proportions creates a prominent civic focal point for the local community off the main Arbury Road.

The phasing of the development ensures there are continuous community facilities on site throughout the construction process, prior to the delivery of the BREEAM ‘Excellent’ Community Hub. PTE collaborated with all future Community Hub stakeholders to bring forward a future-proofed building where all activities benefit from shared, flexible facilities.