Design Images

September 2023:

Our Architects Andrew Kirby & Co have been busy creating a 3D virtual fly-through to give us and you a sense of what the building will be like to inhabit. Screenshots from the video as well as floor plans and elevations are pasted below. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Trustees and other supporters of the project have also been giving their time to the project on various weekends, levelling the site, putting down hard standing, building an access bridge, installing a cattle grid and more. Some photos of us hard at work below:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Elevations and Plans:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Post-Feasibility Stage Since the feasibility study was published, the committee have been revising the proposed layout and the hall features.​When we completed the feasibility study, we had surveyed the parish and collected all the comments regarding potential uses, and this led to a brief for a large hall with lots of potential different purposes.  We put this to our architects, and they produced a set of drawings taking into account what we requested.  It became apparent at that time, as we investigated funding and build costs that we would find it hard to fund the full project, but it also was clear we could trim the size of the building or simplify the building and retain much of the core functionality.  We issued the architect’s drawings with the feasibility report, but made it clear the project was a work in progress.​ At our ‘Walk for Widecombe’ open day in September 2018 we showed a set of drawings put together by our structural engineer.  He had a brief to provide us a comparative design which maximised value-for-money using a more ‘off the shelf’ steel frame building to understand the cost and look of a simpler build that still had a large footprint. ​We listened to various feedback and reflected on our original aims and objectives and recognised this approach would still not be appropriate because we had always felt we needed to prioritise low running costs, long design life, and be sensitive to the adjacent setting of Widecombe.​ This therefore led us to ask the architects to work from a simplified requirements list.  This trimmed down some ancillary space, removed the heritage aspect, as well as making the changing rooms an optional extra if funds can be sourced.  We revisited halls to keep a focus on the key things we needed to deliver. From November 2018 until February 2019 we exchanged drawings and comments in our group and with the architect until we arrived on a design we believed could be afforded and wanted to get formal planning feedback on.  We received a formal response, and used this to guide our work for the planning permission during 2019.  We have now completed this work and made the planning submission. What we now have developed is of a size, external form and position which is realistic, and meets the objectives set.  We have carried out work which goes beyond the planning permission work, such as detailed energy modelling, seeking quotes for utilities and other similar tasks.  Our current design focus is in detailing our costings, and this is where we are interested in hearing from the community about where there may be opportunities for the hall to benefit from the skills and favours which might be available to keep costs down.  We have always priced the building on the basis of the value of the required works, but part of the aim is to bring these cash costs down where possible, and a key part is to use the skills and enthusiasm within the parish to get things done in a cost-effective way. The committee are all volunteers doing this work because we think it is good for the community. Of course getting the funding and permission is necessarily a desk based exercise, but soon the effort will switch to more practical aspects and we know there are others out there who are keen to help. Take a look at our designs and keep on providing feedback to the Community Hall team!  We have a formal planning application in, and hope local stakeholders will have taken the time to look at the proposal prior to then – we have tried to listen to feedback as we have gone along. We are always ready to discuss aspects of the building or the build process and hope to see as many of the community who can help as possible, if you also believe it is a good thing to do.