The latest milestone in the £13 million regeneration of Butetown, Cardiff has been marked by the official opening of @Loudoun, a multi-functional building offering a host of services for the local community.
Built by the Leadbitter Group, @Loudoun is home to a state-of-the-art health centre, a new Culture and Media Centre, three social enterprise units and Cardiff Council information services.
The project is a collaboration between Cardiff Community Housing Association (CCHA), Cardiff Council and the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board.
@Loudoun is built on the site of former run down 1960s shopping centre and derelict maisonettes. Work on the three-year regeneration scheme started in June 2010 following four years of community consultation and planning.
The challenge was to develop the site while minimising disruption to local businesses and residents. The outcome was an innovative, phased approach, which involved building 13 new houses first, so that local businesses could be decanted into the ground floors of these properties, enabling them to trade without loss of business.
Designed by architect Austin Smith Lord, the new building is accessed via a bright, airy atrium which leads to the health centre, pharmacy, culture and media centre and enterprise units.
The atrium features a large photographic image created from a montage of photographs taken from the roofs of the nearby tower blocks by artists Anna Heinrich and Leon Palmer. Austin Smith Lord also designed a vibrant glass cube which forms the entrance to the building.
The new Butetown Health Centre provides the local community with a whole host of services under one roof, including two GP practices, a dental practice and a community pharmacy.
A cinema, digital film making suite, celebration space and training and meeting rooms all make up an exciting new culture and media centre, CMC@Loudoun. Designed to be as flexible as possible, this space will form a creative hub for a wide range of community activities.
Council services are also available in the ‘The Hub at Butetown’ and the BEST centre, a training and enterprise service which provides help for jobseekers.
Three social enterprise units provide affordable office accommodation for hire by local services providers or those wishing to set up a business.
Health Minister Lesley Griffiths attended the official opening and welcomed the provision of the new integrated health centre. She said: “Health services are at the heart of this excellent community development. @Loudoun won’t just deliver economic and social benefits, but a range of high quality, accessible health services, working together to serve the needs of the local community.”
Kevin Protheroe, Chief Executive of CCHA said: “The opening of @Loudoun is significant for all partners involved, especially the local community. They now have access to high quality health, information and recreational services all under one roof. We firmly believe that @Loudoun will have a big impact on the regeneration of Loudoun Square.”
Leadbitter’s commitment to the community during the development has been recognised with a Considerate Constructors Scheme Gold award.
Charlie Scherer, Regional Director of Leadbitter’s West and Wales Housing division, said: “We are extremely proud to have been involved in this hugely successful regeneration programme and it gives us great pleasure to see this fantastic health centre handed over for use by the local community.
“Winning the hearts and minds of locals can be the key to success in a regeneration project. Without community buy-in, it is difficult to create a genuinely sustainable development. Here we have been able to give residents a sense of identity, pride and belonging, which has been achieved through a combination of good design, quality construction and first rate community engagement.”
The parade of 11 new retail units was completed last November and the 13 family homes will be occupied from late June. The final phase of the project involves the demolition of the dilapidated 1960s Butetown health centre and completion of 48 apartments, 13 of which are specifically designed for disabled people. Work is due for completion in March 2013.