Gardner Stewart Architects

Beaulieu Square Neighbourhood Centre

Chelmsford, Essex

Beaulieu Neighbourhood Centre forms the main entrance gateway for a mixed-use development containing 3,500 new homes, on the edge of Chelmsford.

The Neighbourhood Centre proposals consist of five buildings containing a variety of community, commercial and residential uses. The buildings form an attractive and coherent townscape. Bespoke, contemporary architectural language and a distinctive public realm create a unique sense of place. The community buildings are arranged around a landscaped central square and events space, which also accommodates shared parking. This focal space provides a heart to the new community. A series of pedestrian squares around the existing bridleway and retained hedgerow, create an attractive pedestrian route linking the Neighbourhood Centre with adjacent residential areas.

• 600 sq m community centre
• 1,175 sq m retail space, including a 450 sq m anchor food store
• 700 sq m health centre
• 800 sq m nursery
• 180 sq m restaurant
• 34 apartments, comprising a mixture of different tenures
• Public square and events space