Maybe you know what you want, but not how to go about getting it? Maybe you know what you need but not really what you want. Maybe bringing together and building your community is actually more important than a building.  Your project need not be big, it need not be small.

We will be happy to talk and meet with you to talk about your project to asses your needs and produce a plan.

Broadly speaking we look at:

• Design by community - what does this space mean to you? How and who will use it? Getting the project right, the "our space"; what should it say to you and others?
•  Design for sustainability - how working with natural building materials will help reduce your costs and the impact on the environment. Land - issues around where to build.
• Thinking the process -  engaging the right team to produce the right design, the right build, in the right environment.
• Costs, funding and making it happen
• Delivering - how will this happen?

Your community can work with any of our specialist team. These range from experienced practio ners to arc hit ect s, surveyors, volunteer co-ordinators, project managers, site managers and fundraisers. The people you need to make it happen. The "team" will depend on the needs of your project and might include anyone from planning to design to build.

Most communities will want to get involved in some aspect of the design and build because it's so rewarding.

We can even help you celebrate your success by telling others about your achievement and hopefully encourage them to muck in and do something similar.

Because we are a community interest group, any money that we raise is protected by an "asset lock", meaning no one can get to it!

What kind of building?

We will consider any building that is primarily for community purposes, including:

• youth and community building
• indoor play area  
• crèche
• art space

It could be an extension to an existing structure

• student union
• hospice or hospital
• school or educational centre such as a library 

Our Aspiration	Your Aspiration
to promote the well being of  community through their involvement in the process of creating a community structure	to involve our community in a project thereby reducing costs and increasing engagement – giving a sense of being part of something and ownership
to use traditional and natural building techniques / materials with low embodied energy	to get hands-on experience of working with natural materials with other people and have fun
to build soul-full, healthy and   environmentally supportive structures in urban areas	to create something different – that is ours /  from start to finish
to raise awareness of environmental issues and the principals of working with nature and the natural environment	to learn something – from design to interior finish
to create a natural building network to promote natural building in inner cities, engaging a voluntary network in a fun, rewarding and environmentally and community beneficial activity	to do something more worthwhile than going to the gym – to give something back
to attract participants from professional sectors to engage in their local community	To achieve good community and green PR along the lines of social ROI (return on investment), corporate social responsibility, carbon emissions reductions etc.
to use private and public funding to create low impact structures using private, public, brownfield sites	to meet funders’ remit to support community regeneration, environment, education etc.

 

Want to know how current legislation may affect you - this handy myth buster regarding National Planning Policy Framework buster http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/planningandbuilding/pdf/1984490.pdf

For a different view http://www.38degrees.org.uk/page/s/save-our-countryside