Worthwhile-use: Hartree
Proposals to transform brownfield site as part of a wider regeneration masterplan for Cambridge North West to create a biodiverse and resilient public space and a site which supports civic gathering, community sports and green jobs
Worthwhile/Meanwhile-use projects set the tone for future approaches to place-based activity and provide a platform for local innovation and early stage community building. Hartree is the exciting transformation of Anglian Water’s current Water Recycling Centre in north Cambridge led by LandsecU+I with development partners TOWN and client team formed of Cambridge City Council and Anglian Water.
The 47 hectare core site, part of the wider Cambridge Northern Fringe East, will be redeveloped into over 5,000 homes with further provision of workspace space and offices.
A new district centre will include a mix of retail, hotel, community and leisure, education and public space – providing north Cambridge with an exceptional new neighbourhood that will unlock the development potential of surrounding land and further strengthen the city’s strong economy and superb quality of life.
Within the wider masterplan a 1.5 hectare area was initial earmarked for temporary interventions as part of a wider strategy of activation and destination building. Working within the constraints of the area, including the impacts to the identified site of the demolition of the water treatment centre, the proposal is for a vibrant interconnected worthwhile project in a highly accessible and sustainable location.
The Worthwhile-use at Hartree orchestrates rich and diverse uses as a place for Innovation, Play and Exploration.
A hyper-local celebration of community and socially impactful enterprises who connect through creativity, learning and assembly, the Worthwhile-use project would see the transformation of a currently barren site into a bustling, mixed-use destination which champions the chaotic alchemy of creative production.
Over its anticipated 20 year lifespan it will provide a base for a number of micro to medium sized organisations who are working towards social and ecological impact. The site has a number of public-facing commercial, cultural and civic uses which will help begin to build community at the Core Site. The whimsical architecture of the site is connected by a meandering and tactile landscape. It is a place to wander, meet, create and learn.
Client: LandsecU+I and TOWN
Location: Cambridge, UK
Completion: 2022