Goldfinch café, a creatively designed space, offers valuable advantages to families in Bristol
Architect: SEB + FIN ARCHITECTS LTD
Building type: 150m2 mid terrace café and art studio
Method: Timber frame, insulated foundations, cellulose, heat pump, PV
Construction cost: £670,000
Location: Bristol
Goldfinch is a welcoming community space designed to give families the freedom to imagine, create and connect, beyond the confines of the traditional café or classroom.
Architect Mark Finney, and Landscape Architect & Urban Designer Nicole Strong, saw a need for something special in Bristol, and they made it happen. They transformed a run-down establishment into a place where kids and adults can hang out, make connections, and let their creativity flow. They wanted to create a space that offered families somewhere that was neither home nor an unsuitable commercial space.
Nicole Strong shares, “It was a dilapidated building that needed to be completely rebuilt. COVID slowed things down, but we eventually got the planning permission.” She continues, “we wanted to create a space where children could be, where adults could be, where they could connect in a really beautiful space.”
While Mark and Nicole typically prefer to maintain the original structure of buildings whenever feasible, the condition of the existing structure onsite made it evident that renovation wasn’t a viable option.
Mark shares, “we did look at a retrofit. It was a single storey, but it was increasingly dilapidated, and half of the site was a yard. Part of it has a corrugated tin roof, which was collapsing, the walls were collapsing and were covered in algae and mould, so we had to demolish and start again.”
Goldfinch stands as a symbol of their commitment to community and creativity.
Take a look at the project below:
