The 300-square metre centre overlooks Nunhead Green in the London Borough of Southwark and is the first building to be completed as part of the master-plan for the area.

Windows are set into a chimney-like protrusion from the roof. This feature is intended to reference the chimneys of the green’s Victorian almshouses.

The super-scaled herringbone relief brickwork that animates from the main elevation is an enlarged version of the neighbouring Tudorbeathan pub’s brickwork, giving a civic monumentality to the modest scaled building.

The Community centre replaces two 1970’s council buildings which were forced to close due to high running costs. Neilcott put in place a number of energy efficiency measures to ensure its economic viability.

The project was awarded a BREEAM rating of Excellent and the first example of a modern dynamically insulated wall system in a non-domestic building; external air is drawn into the building through super insulated walls that perform as a heat exchanger, with a subsequent reduction in the need for internal service ducts. The timber-framed structure has been designed to enable easy for future adaptations, allowing the building to evolve in response to the changing needs of its users.