South West

New vision for Trowbridge Civic Centre

Trowbridge Civic Centre has been transformed by a £5m project that will allow Trowbridge Town Council to consolidate their activities in a single building whilst providing social and leisure opportunities for the local community.

Hydrock Consultants were designers and project managers and Beard the main contractor for the project, which began in August 2010 and was completed earlier this month.

The original 1970s single storey Civic Hall has been partly demolished and the footprint extended on one elevation. A new two storey perimeter around the existing performance hall has been constructed, creating offices, additional letting space, a conference and entertainment centre and a cafe.

The new Trowbridge Civic Centre features a standing seam roof and walls that are clad in a combination of sweet chestnut, brick and copper coloured metal cladding. In addition, some reconstituted stone and stone effect blocks have been used to complement the other materials.

The building is significantly more efficient than its predecessor and includes sustainable features such as an air source heat pump and under-floor heating. Moreover, energy efficient double-glazing has been installed throughout the centre to work with the additional insulation that has already made the building extremely energy efficient.

Landscaping has comprised a new terrace and deck area outside the building, along with the planting of trees. The main entrances have also been re-landscaped and the north side of the building has been remodelled.

Dave Lawes, Hydrock Consultants, said: “The project has gone extremely well and we have managed to complete the project on programme. Everyone has worked well together and I believe we have created a very beneficial and efficient building.”

Transforming Trowbridge

The refurbishment of the Civic Centre comes as part of the ‘Transforming Trowbridge’ project, which aims to transform the former industrial town into a vibrant commercial centre for Wiltshire.

The project began in 2001, when several agencies joined together to develop a ‘Vision for Trowbridge’. It is led by Wiltshire Council in partnership with developers, businesses and Trowbridge Town Council.

Schemes in the town include the completion of Shires Gateway, a retail led scheme with 75,000 sq ft of shop units. Parkridge Developments Ltd has completed the project, which has seen high street names such as Next and New Look sign up. Barton Finch has also completed the first phase in the redevelopment of the former Ushers Brewery bottling site, which has resulted in the opening of a new 44,000 sq ft Sainsburys supermarket.

Adam Nardell, Wiltshire Council’s Vision Director for Trowbridge, said: “We have been working together for some time to maximise Trowbridge’s potential. For too long, it has been the county town in name only; we all felt that our residents deserved so much more.”

About the author

Roma Publications