Cartwright
Pickard

On Bowling Green Street in Sheffield’s Kelham Island, Hive Central reimagines what build-to-rent living can be with a co-living model that aims to create a community-centred living experience beyond the apartment.

Homes range from generous co-living apartments to studios and duplexes. At the heart of the scheme is a central courtyard café overlooked by balconies and breakout spaces on each level. The courtyard will be covered by an ETFE roof to provide shelter without the space feeling enclosed. Retail units on the ground floor create active frontages to three sides of the building and invite the public through to the courtyard.

In addition to co-working space, a gym, cinema, yoga studio, laundry and shared lounges, communal kitchen and dining facilities add to the inclusive environment and encourage residents to cook and eat collectively.

Rooftop allotments will also be communally maintained by residents to encourage social wellbeing, biodiversity and sustainable food sources, with beehives managed by a local organisation.

A highly sustainable net zero carbon development, the building will use locally sourced materials that absorb carbon, are low-maintenance and have a high recyclable content.

Existing brickwork obtained during demolition will be reused as flooring within the new courtyard. In addition, solar panels have been added to the roof to provide energy for the various amenity spaces.

A weathered steel frame expresses the how the building is constructed, while profiled weathered steel panels are paired with perforated panels which partially screen windows using pattern designs associated with the local crafts industry.

Internally, the palette of materials is locally sourced and naturally crafted. Timber is the predominant material, with exposed CLT soffits that maximise floor-to-ceiling heights and natural daylight. 

Each apartment is designed with customisable wall shelving and storage to give residents greater flexibility and a sense of ownership of the space.

“Hive Central responds to a growing appetite for co-living, with a focus on inclusiveness, wellness, happiness, community and tackling loneliness and isolation, which has intensified during the pandemic.

Grantside has a commitment to sustainable development and our design team has worked hard to achieve a development which aspires to achieve net zero carbon through carefully chosen recyclable materials. The building design reflects the site’s industrial heritage, while providing a carefully considered mix of residential, leisure and commercial uses, on this brownfield site.”

Steve Davis
Founder and Chief Executive, Grantside

"Cartwright Pickard are excited to have worked collaboratively with such a forward-thinking client in Grantside on the development of this collective residential model. The project team have worked progressively to develop a net zero carbon building, both in construction and in use, that has wellbeing at its core.

We believe that Hive Central will sensitively integrate into this key part of Sheffield where community is key and we look forward to the realisation of this exciting project."

Ian Walsh
Project Director, Cartwright Pickard