The Nature & Wellbeing Centre didn’t begin with a question about buildings. It began with an idea: could we create a place where people could improve their wellbeing while caring for the environment at the same time?
More than a Community Centre
When you visit Birmingham Settlement’s Nature & Wellbeing Centre next to Edgbaston Reservoir, you may notice the green space first. But look a little closer, and you’ll find something else happening here.
Almost every part of the site has been designed to show how buildings, landscapes and communities can work together to respond to global climate challenges in practical and achievable ways; to show what community spaces can become when environment and community are considered and built together.
Every decision, from the materials used to the way rainwater is managed across the site, has been made to reduce carbon emissions, protect natural resources and inspire others to think differently about the places they create.
This summer’s record temperatures are a reminder that climate change is no longer a distant challenge, it’s something we’re all beginning to experience in our daily lives, making it clearer than ever that the places we build today need to be designed differently.
Building Differently
Birmingham Settlement’s 3-acre site is full of ideas that reduce environmental impact while making life better for the people who use it every day.
The Red Shed – home to our welcoming Community Cafe – was designed to challenge the idea that buildings need to rely on conventional materials or expensive technologies to be sustainable. Instead, it was built primarily using natural clay blocks and insulated with cellulose fibre made from recycled paper, creating a pioneering low-carbon wall construction that dramatically reduces heat loss, while reducing use of oil-based materials.
Heating and hot water are provided by a ground source heat pump alongside an innovative heat battery that replaces a traditional hot water cylinder. These systems have reduced energy consumption by around 50% compared with conventional gas or electric heating.
The building is highly airtight and works alongside a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery, capturing warmth that would otherwise be lost and using it to pre-warm fresh air during colder months. The result is a comfortable building that uses significantly less energy throughout the year.
That approach has attracted national recognition – in 2025 the Red Shed was shortlisted for the prestigious RIBA Journal MacEwen Award, joining an inspiring collection of twelve projects recognised for embodying architecture for the common good.
Producing More Than We Consume
Renewable electricity is another key part of the site’s environmental strategy. The recent addition of solar photovoltaic panels to the Red Shed now creates renewable electricity, reducing reliance on the national grid, carbon emissions and running costs.
When the second phase of ground-mounted solar panels are installed later in the year, we expect the site to generate more renewable electricity than it consumes, moving towards becoming a net energy producer. This has the added benefit of keeping running costs low, allowing more of our charity’s resources to be invested in supporting people.
Working with Nature
The Nature & Wellbeing Centre has been designed so that natural systems work alongside the built environment. Rainwater is captured and directed into a balancing pond connected to our geodesic domes. During heavy rainfall, water is released slowly back into the ground, helping reduce flood risk while creating valuable habitat for wildlife and increasing biodiversity.
Wastewater is treated on site using a BioDisc treatment system, which naturally breaks down waste before safely returning treated water to the ground. This water is reportedly clean enough to drink – although we’re not going to put that to the test…
Together, these systems reduce pressure on public infrastructure while showing how sustainable water management can improve biodiversity and strengthen resilience to changing weather patterns while creating richer habitats for plants, insects and wildlife.
A Place that Inspires Change
The site proves that climate action doesn’t have to feel complicated or out of reach. It can be practical, inclusive and community-led. Every visit helps people understand that the choices we make about buildings, landscapes and public spaces can improve health, strengthen communities and protect the environment at the same time.
Completing the Vision – the Green Barn
Now we’re ready for the final chapter, the Green Barn, which will complete our vision of a community space that is sustainable, functional and welcoming.
Designed to complement the Red Shed, the Green Barn will provide a permanent, all-weather space that allows activities to continue throughout the year while staying true to our sustainability principles.
Its structure will minimise embodied carbon by using materials efficiently and embracing design for disassembly, allowing components to be repaired, adapted and reused in the future rather than discarded.
The Green Barn will also connect directly into the existing ground source heat network, making use of the additional capacity that was built into the site from the very beginning.
Just as importantly, the Green Barn will create a flexible, all-weather space that enables us to expand our activities, welcome more school groups and host larger community events, and provide much-needed office space for staff and volunteers.
It will make the site more accessible for everyone, particularly vulnerable people, while creating a welcoming space for local groups, community-led projects, meetings, shared learning and neighbourhood gatherings.
The construction of the Green Barn will also create opportunities for local colleges, volunteers and community members to get involved in hands-on learning and practical skills development.
We believe the Nature & Wellbeing Centre can continue to inspire others to think differently about how places are designed.
Want to be part of this legacy for the city?