Architects have unveiled plans to breathe new life into two historic buildings in Camborne, transforming them into a vibrant community centre.
Poynton Bradbury Architects, who have offices in St Ives and Exeter, said the multi-million-pound Town Deal-funded project will transform two listed buildings in the heart of Cornwall’s UNESCO Cornish Mining World Heritage Site in Camborne.
The project involves a restoration of the former boarding school, the Basset Centre, and the neighbouring White House, a former villa. The two structures will be joined by a glass atrium, creating a unified space that fosters a sense of community.
The heart of this new space will be a purpose-built performance and events space, community centre, and library catering to a variety of activities and gatherings.
The renamed Basset Community Hub will house a modern, spacious library, a dedicated youth space, a community café and a heritage exhibition experience including a new permanent home for the Trevithick Society Puffing Devil replica engine.
Poynton Bradbury Architects boasts a dedicated team of heritage specialists with more than 100 years of combined experience, specialising in preserving and enhancing historic structures including the King Edward Mine in Camborne, St John’s Hall and the Jubilee Pool, both in Penzance, the Wheal Martyn Clay Works Museum in St Austell, and other regional landmarks.
Their portfolio includes numerous heritage projects dating back to the firm’s founding in 1973.
Director Chris Turner emphasised the significance of the project. He said: “Combining the Basset Centre and neighbouring White House sites within a single project ensures the long-term future of the two important Grade II Listed buildings that form an integral part of the town’s streetscape and heritage.
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"The project will also include sympathetic repairs to windows and replacing the modern concrete roof tiles on the White House with natural slate, mirroring its original construction.
“The design intention is to maintain the separate and distinct identities of the buildings while at the same time connecting them via a new performance space.”
Emma Hosking, an RIBA-accredited Conservation Architect from Poynton Bradbury Architects’ heritage team, adds: “A lot of work goes into a heritage project.
"We visit the site taking in everything about the area and the influences that have gone into the building(s). It’s about understanding the story and history of these structures and bringing them into the here and now in an architecturally sensitive way.”
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