Chi Winder

Pool, Cornwall

Project

Chi Winder

Location

Pool, Cornwall

Client

Coastline Housing

Contract

£2.3m

Duration

52 weeks

Project

Chi Winder

Location

Pool, Cornwall

Client

Coastline Housing

Contract

£2.3m

Duration

52 weeks

Total Sqft

XX sqft

Project Description

Commissioned by repeat client Coastline Housing and match-funded by Homes England, Chi Winder stands as Cornwall’s state-of-the-art, multi-award-winning flagship centre for tackling homelessness. The facility blends into its historical surroundings by incorporating locally sourced natural stone and sleek standing seam cladding, reflecting the area’s rich heritage. Chi Winder provides a transformative environment that offers security, safety, and the vital opportunity for users to re-skill and transition into independent living.

Built to strict Simplified Building Energy Model (SBEM) standards, the complex timber-frame structure comprises 18 modern, purpose-built DDA-compliant en-suite apartments alongside a comprehensive day centre. The facility integrates a dedicated ‘Health for Homeless’ GP surgery for daily medical clinics, detached ‘moving-on’ housing units, and specialised support zones for financial, housing, and addiction advice. The layout also features communal resource areas with free computers and telephones, public showers, laundry facilities, administrative offices, and re-skilling spaces.

To optimise long-term operational efficiency, the team navigated a significant mid-construction upgrade, successfully integrating a sophisticated Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) system after the superstructure was already erected without disrupting funding terms or the handover deadline.

The project required rigorous technical management from the pre-construction phase through to completion. Because the development sits within the impact zone of a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and an area with historical mining activity, the team conducted extensive ground assessments. Discovering contaminated land on site, Classic Builders implemented a meticulous reduced-level dig, laying specialised protective membranes and clean backfill to safely facilitate the soft landscaping.

Civil engineers also carefully adapted the ground make-up to accommodate a potential future Compulsory Purchase Order intended for widening the adjacent main highway. To protect the client’s budget, extensive value engineering was carried out to source a highly durable alternative aluminium product for the main architectural features.

Chi Winder represents the culmination of a ten-year consultation process with local residents to challenge the perceptions of homelessness. Classic Builders proudly continued this legacy of positive community engagement throughout the construction phase, hosting regular site tours and information updates for neighbouring residents and local volunteer trusts.

The site team also carefully monitored and protected adjacent historically significant buildings, including various listed features. By providing crucial guidance to a newly appointed fire suppression consultant and executing flawless mechanical and electrical commissioning, the project exceeded all performance benchmarks—setting a new benchmark for compassionate, community-focused regeneration in Cornwall.

“I hope the quality and excellence of this facility sets the standard for provision needed across Cornwall.” – Cornwall Council Holder for Homes

“This is a really interesting and important project. I very much enjoyed the design and architecture, with its successful mix of traditional forms and contemporary detailing. A worthy winner.” – John Beauchamp, Judge for Michelmores Awards

“This centre will enable us to expand our services to those without a home of their own, keep them safe, and work with them to help them re-build their lives. […]” – Director of Housing, Assets and Communities at Coastline Housing

“…I think about Chi Winder often as it shows what is possible. We need far more schemes like this – built and designed to accommodate the needs of the people who will be living there. It is definitely not the ambition and commitment of our sector that holds us back from achieving this.” – Director of Policy and Research at The National Housing Federation

The project was recognised in the following awards: