Goldsmiths Community Centre
Project Summary
The Glass-House began working with the Goldsmiths Community Association in April 2009, visiting the group and developing a programme of Project Support. The Project Support involved assisting Goldsmiths to formulate and develop an action plan and an initial strategy for a new community café within the building.
The current café is small and difficult to find and the idea is to move the café to a more visible location in order to provide better services and to attract more users to the centre. The primary goal of the programme was to provide the community association with a better understanding of the early processes of realising a building project and a method by which a brief for the actual project might be prepared.
Project Background
The Goldsmiths Centre was built in 1939 as a multipurpose community facility. The centre is a brick built single-storey building with a pitched tiled roof, and a collection of rooms and spaces of various sizes grouped around what were originally two internal courtyards. The building has been extended and modified over the course of many years to meet changing requirements and to provide additional space.
The community association, after consultation with users, wish to provide a new café to act as a new focal point for the centre. In addition, the centre sees these changes as an opportunity to increase educational facilities by hosting training in food preparation and enhancing the existing IT suite. Goldsmiths Community Association initiated feasibility studies for this development and other improvements to the building including way finding and improved access.
Although the centre currently has a café, it is located in a less visible part of the building, has no access to outside space and only seats a few people. The community association has identified an existing space that overcomes these drawbacks. This space is located on a corner of the building adjacent to the IT suite and holds potential to provide a new entrance for the centre. The current use of the space as a crèche could be accommodated elsewhere in the centre.
Glass-House Involvement
The Glass-House contracted Levitt Bernstein Associates to work with Goldsmiths and develop a programme in order to support the group in putting together a design brief for the renovation of the new café space.
The programme consisted of an introductory workshop to review the work Goldsmiths had done so far on the vision for the café, learn about brief development and discuss ideas for use of the space. The group then carried out some of their own work and came back for a second workshop to begin developing a brief. This session included an inspirational slideshow to give Goldsmiths some ideas for the possibilities within their space. The group then created mood boards to illustrate how they would like the café space to look, feel and function.
The third element of the programme was a Study Tour to five inspiring café spaces in South London to gain inspiration and speak to the hosts about their experiences of renovating/running a cafe. The group came away from the Study Tour with a wealth of ideas and enthusiasm for their new café.
The final workshop discussed the more practical aspects of the refurbishment – going through the different stages of the design process and looking at ways of going about choosing a designer/architect. Colin Muir of Levitt Bernstien was present throughout and the workshops were facilitated by Glass-House staff.
Community Involvement
The core group for the project was made up of staff and users of the centre as well as a representative from the local housing association. This group was committed to feeding back information to the wider community and users of the centre.
Throughout the process, the group held regular meetings in between Glass-House sessions and set up notice boards in the centre displaying the work carried out in the workshops and inviting others to comment on the ideas. The group has continued to communicate with the users and visitors of the centre and has made use of big events at Goldsmiths to update everyone and get feedback.
Project Support Outcomes
The programme has allowed the group to focus on the project and consider all the wider implications of their decisions.
The group has now decided on the location of the café within the building and has consensus on the kind of space they would like to have.
The programme has also allowed a wide range of people to get involved and have their say on the future of the cafe.
Response from the Group
"The more we talked, the more we realised the project was more complicated than I first thought!”
“The final workshop was a consolidation of the ‘journey’ as a whole and we’re feeling more positive about achieving the end.”
"I've started to put a mental picture together of requirements and outcomes."
"It has brought a group of diverse people and organisations together in a common purpose that everyone has benefited from. It has caused us to look at our centre and what we like and dislike and enabled us to find common ground. It has encouraged group members to think creatively about the spaces and how we could best use them and stimulated discussion about likes and dislikes, preferences and taste. The response from the local community has been very positive and encouraging. We mounted several plans/mood sheets around the centre and these have stimulated comments and discussion. As more people have become aware of the project they have wanted to share their views and join in. Excitement is mounting and the café/hub now seems a real possibility rather than an idea.”
Latest Update from the Group
After the support programme, some members of Goldsmiths attended a Glass-House Buildings by Design course at which they produced a model of the café space. The group has now secured £11,000 funding for a feasibility study of the centre which will allow them to work on plans and costings of the café project. Goldsmiths has also held events in the centre with Pop-Up cafes to start thinking about how the café will be managed.
Group Supported
Goldsmiths Community Association
Group Location
Downham, Lewisham, London
Project Category
Buildings
Project Features
- Refurbishment
- Community Cafe
- Visioning
- Design Brief Development
How The Glass-House helped
- Brief Development workshops
- Advice from an independent professional
- Inspiring Study Tour
Project Support Outcomes
- Consider wider implications of the project
- Agree location and layout of cafe
- Wider community involvement
Project Support Dates
Other Glass-House Support
Attended Buildings by Design
Glass-House Enabler
Levitt Bernstein Associates - Colin Muir
We had an excellent day and the places we visited were amazingly close to what we are trying to create here in Stockwell. I am grateful for your acute interest in what we have to say
Can I once again thank Glass-House for all their help and interest. You are an excellent organisation – and the staff are lovely as well!”
The training experience was extremely enjoyable and very informative. We have come away with a design which we feel we can put into reality and the training was probably the best I have attended.
The course was excellent and I can't thank you and Glass-House enough for the support you've given us, it has made all the difference to the way we look at the project."
