The civic centre provides accessibility for key services and council functions and creates a Civic identity that promotes the transparency of local government. Whilst achieving a BREAAM Excellent building with immediate building operational revenue savings of over £3m/annum, the design also achieved an architecture that defines civic pride and supports wider regeneration principles
Design Approach
This project is a prime example of our collaborative design approach working with a Local Authority stakeholder group to design, gain planning consent and procure a new civic hub which has delivered transformational change to the Council.
Our approach was to create transformational change through signature thinking – optimising Council assets becoming a catalyst for regeneration and improving public sector service delivery.
Comprising approximately 250,000ft² office accommodation, as well as a local service centre, business centre, community gallery & café, and library facilities, the Civic Centre now houses 2,400 staff and delivers improved public services and community facilities. The new working environment incorporated, ‘New Ways of Working’ principles for space allocation and management to deliver spatial efficiencies. The end result is an agile flexible working environment that promotes user wellbeing, improves Council effectiveness and creates opportunities for public and commercial sector partners.
The Civic Centre formed part of a wider masterplan and asset rationalisation programme bringing major regeneration to the centre of Woolwich including new public square, significant retail offering and over 900 new town centre homes for sustainable living.
