Nestled in the steep wooded valley of the Whiteadder Water, Abbey St Bathans is a small picturesque village in the rural landscape of East Berwickshire. Dating from the 1920’s, with its striking blue façade and red tin roof, the village hall had long been a feature in the surrounding, agricultural landscape. Originally built as a drill hall, it remained popular as a venue for gatherings with the community developing a strong sense of affection and ownership.
with deterioration obvious not just in its dilapidated exterior, but also in its poor environmental performance, resulting in issues such as dampness and rot. The inevitable discomfort and high running cost aside, concerns had also been raised about the integrity of the structure.
Appointed by the Abbey St Bathans Village Hall Trust, CSY’s collaborative approach protected this social capital via a programme of briefing and design, involving multiple user groups that ensured ongoing investment in the project’s success, beginning with the establishment of prioritised need followed by a participative approach to the design process.
with the proposed lightweight, highly insulated building sitting on specialist, lightweight foundations to mitigate ecological impact and ensure a robust and thermally efficient envelope. Careful internal planning built in an element of future-proofing and flexibility; critical to the Trust when considering multiple income streams.
Heating is provided via a ground source heat-pump, thereby minimising utility costs to the client with wood-fibre insulation used as a natural solution to achieving high thermal efficiency.
The completed building houses a large hall supported by a series of ancillary spaces. CSY has aimed to provide the client with maximum operational flexibility, giving resilience day to day and through the life of the building, reducing energy costs and always responding to the needs of the community.
