icecream
architecture

In 2026, icecream architecture were commissioned by Stirling Council to develop a visioning strategy for the future of the Cornton Community Centre, supporting its proposed Community Asset Transfer to local charity S4F (Support for Families). 

The project reflects a shared ambition to transform the space in to a community Wellbeing Hub, a welcoming, inclusive and sustainable community resource rooted in trauma informed, person centred practice and shaped around local needs. Our work forms a shared vision comprising a partnership working strategy, design briefing package, branding assets and delivery roadmap for the community Wellbeing Hub.

Our work began with engagement with S4F staff and volunteers, local residents, existing building users and prospective partners to understand how the centre currently works, where the barriers are, and what a future Wellbeing Hub could offer. Conversations with local partners across health and social care, arts and culture, youth services, employability, physical, mental and financial wellbeing services shaped the vision. Organisations engaged included Stirlingshire Voluntary Enterprise representatives, the local Social Prescribing team, Artlink Central, Cornton Library, Stirling Council’s Learning & Employability and Youth Services teams, and Scotwest Credit Union.

These conversations identified opportunities for the Hub to provide a base for partnership services alongside community-led activity including social prescribing and health and wellbeing signposting, counselling, financial wellbeing support, employability and digital support, youth and family services, and creative and cultural programmes.

Wellbeing for the whole community

Rather than prescribing a fixed programme, the Hub is designed as a flexible framework that can evolve with the community. Potential activities range from counselling, community health services and peer support to a community café and pantry, youth activities, creative workshops, exercise classes, community growing and social events. Central to the vision is a welcoming and approachable front-of-house environment where people can meet, access activities and be connected to the support or services that are right for them.

Creating a new identity and a route to delivery

Alongside engagement and partnership development, icecream architecture appraised the existing building and developed a spatial and use strategy exploring how it could become more accessible, adaptable and welcoming. This was used to create a briefing pack ensuring design teams understand the community needs and partnership working requirements which will be fundamental to any development of the building.

A new visual identity and branding direction for the Cornton Wellbeing Hub was developed alongside the spatial proposals, reflecting S4F’s ethos and helping establish the Hub as something more than a traditional community centre. The identity aims to create a recognisable, welcoming presence within the Cornton, supporting the Hub’s future communications, partnerships and community activity.

The study also explores quick-win building improvements, longer term refurbishment, sustainability, flexible use of spaces and opportunities to embed community creativity throughout the building from co-created artworks to a community yard and wellbeing garden.

A phased delivery roadmap, funding strategy and partnership approach provide a practical framework for taking the project forward. This builds on the centre’s existing role and identity whilst establishing a more ambitious, visible and connected neighbourhood resource for the Cornton area.