Crewe Heritage Centre: A town for the people
My work is driven by the belief that architecture carries a responsibility to the communities it serves, the surrounding environment and heritage of place. I have developed this throughout my time in the Continuity Atelier, growing my interest in heritage conservation and deepening my understanding of the relationship between people and place.
This is how I approached my studio project for Crewe Heritage Centre, adopting my ateliers ethos of ‘make-do and mend’. This project reimagines Crewe Heritage Centre expanding the cultural narrative that defines the city today. Crewe has often been overlooked and defined by its industrial decline, however it has always been ambitious and Crewe Heritage Centre honors that.
Reframing the site as a Landmark within a city of urban artefacts drove the concept design. Rooted in townscape theory, each structure responds to its civic or industrial programme, fostering a sense of community through inclusion and the celebration of craft through bespoke detailing. Form is derived from Crewe’s historical morphology, which has later been developed through principles of urban preservation and reversible building theory.
An ambitious material startegy was key to this proposal using natural materials that we can return back to the earth that require minimal processing. Using a locally sourced reversible timber frame and industrial stone brick interface inspired by Crewe's vernacular the structures envelope creates a layered thresholds from past to present while curating a tactile atmosphere.
This was further developed by repurposing the exisitng structure through circular economy principles, giving parts a new pupose that supports the community landscape and environmental strategy.
