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Designing a healthy living centre, Bristol

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Barton Hill, in Bristol's New Deal for Communities area, is visually dominated by tower blocks and concrete - a classic 1960s estate. When Communities at Heart, the New Deal for Communities partnership, decided to create the Wellspring healthy living centre , it chose to do something about the neighbourhood's lack of creativity and design - to kill two birds with o­ne stone. Now the area has an elegant multi-purpose building, built with natural materials, incorporating a multitude of artist-led community-designed features. The centre's positive message, that total well-being leads to overall good health, is reflected in the building and its materials. Here is a centre that will not just address every aspect of residents' health needs, but will inspire their creativity and positive sense of place

ON 27 November 2004, Casualty star Ian Bleasdale will officially open the Wellspring healthy living centre, in the heart of the Barton Hill area of Bristol. It's a dream come true for many residents of this New Deal for Communities (NDC) area.

Arts, environment, health and community care all come together under o­ne roof. Aspects of the design of the building have been artist-led , involving artwork created by members of the community, doctors and others. Design has been an important aspect of the building. An elegant curving staircase comes out of a tiled floor, a similar look to the Tate St Ives. The use of natural materials also gives off a positive health message.

A roof partly made of photo voltaic tiles to generate electricity, and underground storage of rainwater for toilet flushing contribute to the building's environmental friendliness .

When all tenants move in, residents will have access to:

  • NHS doctors
  • a dentist
  • art facilities
  • complementary health therapies
  • health visitors and midwives
  • social services
  • alcohol and drugs advice and support.
  • crèche

A pharmacy is also renting part of the building and a café is planned, possibly run by social services providing employment opportunities for people with learning disabilities. A larger room has a sprung floor for dancing, and there is even a quiet room for contemplation and meditation.

'It's a place where we can provide alternative support, not just medicines, to address people's health needs,' says NDC chief executive David Ralph. 'The idea is to focus o­n their needs, not just symptoms. It's about well-being, not ill-health.'

Long term the centre needs to generate its own revenue . All the service providers are paying rent Lease agreements have been signed for 21 years to guarantee that revenue coming in. These have been factored into a business plan which shows the centre breaking even within three years and generating an income close of £100,000 pa (largely in rent). This is above and beyond the service costs required to run a building of this nature. The income will be available to the management committee to provide additional health and wellbeing services long after the NDC programme has finished. The hope is that Wellspring will become an independent voluntary sector organisation in its own right, managed by users from the local area.


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