Completion of Lottery funded Broadhempston Village Hall, South Hams

van Ellen + Sheryn’s  design for a striking black and orange village hall in the picturesque village of Broadhempston was completed this summer. The new facility provides the village with a Sports-England grade badminton court; which doubles up as flexible space for other sports, exercise classes, school groups, and a performance space for the amateur dramatics society.

Two custom designed spaces were provided alongside the main hall, for self-contained uses such as pre-school groups, after-school classes, and parish council meetings.

The village hall design started life as a curved green roof structure with an expressed oak frame and covered colonnade facing into the new village green. The design incorporated materials local to the area; stone, render, and timber cladding, and detailed them in a contemporary aesthetic.

The design was well received by the local community and planning authority, and gained planning permission. However, following high tender price returns, and a lower-than-expected level of funding available, the project became unviable. Thankfully, a contractor local to the village, Coyde Construction, offered to take the project on to ensure the village got their new hall. A new design was produced by van Ellen + Sheryn that significantly simplified the detail and construction to reduce costs whilst maintaining the internal configuration. The result was the completely black finished, timber clad and metal roofed hall that is now complete. Highlights of orange were used to signify points of entrance and add some fun to the otherwise simple volume.

Credit must be given to Coyde for their eye for detail in building the hall, it’s finish is crisp and precise. Although there was some reservation when the unusual black building was proposed, the materials actually glisten in the sunshine adding life to the black surfaces, and the appearance is now well-loved by the local residents.

Completed earlier this year, the local community then came together to undertake the external landscaping; the payback of which was a bloom of wildflowers and lush grass this Spring. Although the project had its difficulties in realisation, credit should be given to all the parties involved, as hard work and persistence has provided the village with a unique and successful new space to enjoy for years to come.

For more information contact us here, or visit the village hall website.