Salford's first ultra-low carbon community-constructed building to open its doors

The £950k Salford project, which will finish construction this month, will boast a vibrant new community space with a park café, offices, meeting rooms and a BMX pump track.

Being labelled one of the greenest buildings in Salford, the incredible new space was built using zero-carbon, modular design system called “WikiHouse”.

Imagine a system that does for construction what IKEA did for furniture, the unconventional WikiHouse design means the people of Little Hulton have been part of the build.

More than 100 volunteers from the local area have been down to lend a hand on the construction site. In June 2024, around 60 children from the Lowry Academy and St Edmunds RC School helped to get construction underway.

Charlie Butterwick, Director of Architecture Unknown, said: “The Peel Park Pavilion is community architecture at its finest. It has been a wonderful opportunity to create something integral, functional and beneficial for the whole area. A place that is purposeful and beautiful.

“Using WikiHouse for this design has meant the people of Little Hulton have been physically involved in the changes in their community, and that isn’t something we see enough in regeneration projects. This building truly belongs to all those who volunteered. I can’t wait to see it open and how it comes to life as everyone enjoys the space.”

Community Little Hulton is the successor to Little Hulton Big Local which was part of 150 Big Local trusts who were allocated £1m each to spend on improving the lives of their residents.

Since 2017, Community Little Hulton has been working in this Salford park to invest in young lives, focusing on young adults who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) and children from deprived backgrounds.

Architecture Unknown first secured planning permission for the site in 2021. After being severely delayed by Covid-19, the team began construction in April of this year.

The Peel Park Pavilion is due to soft open to the public at the start of January, with the centre officially opening in February 2025.

Celebrating the end of the build, Charlie added: “Handing the site over is such a milestone for us as a practice. This project, more than any other, represents an opportunity to tell the world what we’re about and how we work differently to other architects. Our passion is community-led architecture.”

The project would not have been possible without several collaborators including, structural engineer ING Design, contractors Construction Solutions. It has also been financially supported by the Albert Gubay Charitable Foundation.

Alison Jones from Community Little Hulton, who instructed Architecture Unknown for the project, said: “The Peel Park project will be an amazing community asset for the people of the Little Hulton.

The project has regenerated an unloved park building to provide a mixed-used space the whole area can benefit from.

“Architecture Unknown has put the people of Little Hulton and the centre’s purpose in the community at the heart of this design. It is an incredible space.”

In the new year, The Peel Park Pavilion will host community activities such as craft and games groups, toddler and baby sessions, food clubs with advice and services for families and youth cafes for teenagers.

Architecture Unknown is a Manchester-based practice founded by Charlie Butterwick and Daniel Kelso. The practice previous built the 2nd Whalley Range Scout Hut with WikiHouse design.

Architects Charlie Butterwick and Daniel Kelso met at the University of Manchester founding their practice in 2016.

Architecture Unknown are specialists in designing and building using WikiHouse to facilitate client’s ambitions through design and technical knowledge. The team can also provide training for any volunteers and onsite leadership to help during the build process in addition to their typical architectural duties.