The HCA Hub is a landmark project for the Hereford College of Arts that creates a series of interlinked exhibition and social spaces with a dynamic landscape that grounds the building with the external terraces and sculpture garden beyond.
Working closely with the College and drawing on elements from the architectural design of the building, the landscape strategy looks to root the Hub to the site, creating a series of external social and exhibition spaces for the College and its students and includes for enclosed and visually permeable entrance and café terraces.
A continuous seam of in-situ concrete with silicon carbide ‘sparkle’ surface brings cohesion to the external spaces. A grove of semi mature multistem trees provide dappled shade to the café terrace with a linear water bench animating the space whilst also being an important part of the day lighting strategy to the HUB.
b:d were able to create a strong narrative with simple materials and clean lines using monolithic oak benches, cedar ‘fin’ fencing and a seam of silicon carbide ‘sparkle’ insitu concrete. A refined planting palette of semi mature Tulip Trees, multistem Amelanchier trees and swathes of clipped hedging and kinetic grasses create a strong relationship to the exhibition and café spaces.
The scheme offers opportunities for community and other groups to use College facilities, particularly once the planned refurbishment of the Folly Arts Theatre on site is completed.
This project will complete the frontage planned for the ‘Learning Village’ which has seen the transformation of the other colleges on the site, which b:d have been involved with since 2008 and give students of the College of Arts an exciting and inspiring space to be proud of.
