Small but perfectly formed

The Bewsey & Dallam Community Hub opened on November 15, 2021- bringing vital library, leisure, and community facilities to the area.

The brief was to create a building that feels spacious, open, and welcoming for young people and families. At the same time, the intention was to incorporate dementia friendly design principles to ensure Bewsey and Dallam Community Hub is a facility that is inclusive for all.

The design is a 3-storey building containing a learner therapy pool and a community area on the ground floor, which includes the library and digital services.
The library is small, but perfectly formed and bi-fold doors bring the outside in. They open the library up onto a beautiful patio with seating areas. It includes self-service book borrowing and free public computers. A reception/social area, providing a reception for community hub users and seating. The library was designed for self-service and focuses on two universal offers – reading and information.

ICT provision ensures that Wi-Fi enabled devices including tablets, computers, portable game consoles, smartphones, digital cameras, and digital audio players easily connect to the internet in the Hub.

The Hub now acts as a focus for healthy and wellbeing activities, job opportunities, community safety initiatives, access to statutory agencies, digital opportunities, and space for the community to develop its own activities. This includes improving lifestyle choices by providing a wide range of facilities and services which range from sport to health and libraries; thus, creating a community anchor that provides a safe, neutral, stigma free environment.

The emphasis was on access and convenience whilst at the same time creating a simple, calm environment by the careful use of colours and design principles which allowed for easy navigation throughout the building; particularly for those with dementia and other additional needs.