The Cleator Mill Education & Transport Hub
As part of the Infrastructure-Space brief, we were tasked with developing a Transport Hub on the site of the existing Sellafield Park&Ride facilities in the complex of the historic Cleator Mill in Cleator Moor. Developing a transport hub aimed to provide low-carbon links to a rural area lacking the connectivity enjoyed by other communities in the country.
Through the Atelier’s fixed position on thorough research and mapping, I investigated different areas of the West Cumbrian socio-economic panorama, being especially drawn to the lack of well-equipped local educational facilities or public transport options to access them. Research showed that a combination of both led to large migrations of students to more prosperous areas of the country.
Thanks to the Atelier’s flexibility, I was approved to change of the site’s location, focusing the project on retrofitting and extending the Cleator Mill, avoiding it following the rest of the complex’s fate and getting demolished, making way for new developments. This would ensure the preservation of a long-standing institution in the village, aiming to preserve the community’s identity and giving its inhabitants a sense of pride and ownership of their vernacular architecture. Additionally, Sellafield’s Park&Ride structure would be maintained, as it is fully functional and recently built in 2021.
Through a retrofit of the Cleator Mill dating back to 1800, based on local sustainable design, the Hub would host an electric DRT fleet connecting students from their homes to their respective educational institutions through an Education Hub. This hub would be equipped with a wide range of educational facilities including a daycare for the youngest, gallery spaces, computer labs, and remote study rooms that individual institutions wouldn’t be able to provide. By centralizing all facilities under one roof, new interactions across the community would develop, fostering the sharing of knowledge and educational opportunities.
