Commissioned by Bath-based housing association and housebuilder, Curo, the brief of Mulberry Park was to create a co-location of facilities, with the community at the very heart of the project. The hub consists of a 210 place primary school, a 70 place nursery school and state of the art community facilities. The development also offers an external environment, with a new public square, fit to provide space for community events, markets, gatherings and a safe play area for children. The challenge faced by Building Design Partnership Ltd (BDP) was to position the new hub as a trailblazer for future community spaces, aiming to provide maximum flexibility that stands the test of time. So when it came to brick choice, it was crucial to select a product that was anchored to the local heritage so the community hub looked like a natural part of the landscape and worked just as well in years to come.
To help achieve this, the architect chose Wienerberger’s iconic Marziale brick to complete the exterior of the scheme. Cream in colour and rich in variation and texture, the traditional Marziale brick was carefully selected to soften the bold forms and complement the similar buff tone bricks and Bath stone that is used elsewhere on the development.
The project also involved the creation of cantilevered forms on the main building, inspired by the iconic Mulberry Harbours, which were temporarily floating harbours used for the Allied invasion of Normandy in WWII, as well as a striking copper alloy cladding, perforated with patterns derived from historical aerial photographs of the harbours. The soft finish of the Marziale brick contrasts with the bold textures and form of the rest of the hub, resulting in a striking finish.
