With this hybrid such as health, community and housing development in south London, a strong overall vision is essential to avoid a hodgepodge. Family Mosaic housing association client not only in the West £ 9.8 million Stockwell Primary Health Care and Resource Center for the Community, according to partner Julian week.
“The key thing was the drive of Family Mosaic. The aspiration was to achieve a shared ethos so that each stakeholder didn’t retrench into their own objectives -if you share more you get a greater sum than the parts,” says Stock.
Central to the concept is the three storey high foyer which links the different components of the facility and is glazed at both ends to allow views through to the green garden beyond. The foyer draws people into and through the building.
The entrance is situated in a five storey block on the main street frontage that relates to the massing of surrounding housing blocks and their chimneys. In the new building, however, the distinctive chimneys are used for passive ventilation that greatly reduces the need for air-conditioning.
The main block houses community facilities, such as Sure Start, and after school club and a senior citizens’ club, plus offices for housing and welfare staff. The top storey contains a layer of shared equity apartments.
To the right is a cedar-clad building containing a GPs surgery and pharmacy. At the rear, a 40-unit residential block currently under construction will complete the project.
The architects played down the personality of different spaces, mindful that they’d need to be flexible enough to accommodate different groups and needs in the future.
“We’ve produced quite a stark white interior for users. The expectation is that users have to personalise the space and make it what they want,” says Stock.
