The Aboyne and District Men’s Shed group was formally constituted in 2016. Following their creation, the process to find or create a Men’s Shed began. Originating in Australia around 1980, Men’s Sheds are community spaces aimed predominately towards older men to combat the loneliness and isolation they experience. Mental health and physical well-being are hallmarks of a good life and require a well-rounded approach to social connections, friendships, skills, and knowledge sharing.
The Men’s Shed Association seeks to provide a space for those seeking a place to belong. Sheds can be literal sheds, re-purposed garages, office spaces and similar buildings or, in the case of the Aboyne Men’s Shed, a purpose-built property. The two-storey new-build Community Hub began construction in October 2019 and was completed by July 2021.
The ground floor consists of a single large open plan area that is used as a creative space for anything ranging from woodworking and metalworking to stone carving. The first floor is divided into several spaces to allow activities by different groups to be ongoing at the same time and features two large entertainment rooms and a fully loaded commercial kitchen.
The design of the building draws inspiration from the core beliefs of the Men’s Shed and its location. Built in a former quarry, the ground floor forms a strong foundation of rendered block, representative of the strong community bonds the Shed forms amongst its members, on which the softer appearance of the timber-clad first floor sits, symbolic of the surrounding woodland and the connection of the building to nature and nurturing.
One of the driving factors of the project was to achieve a building with the best possible energy performance. This was important not only to ensure the energy costs are manageable throughout the year but also as a community building, it was important that the building set a precedent for what is possible. Using Air-to-Air heat pumps, solar PV panels and high insulation levels throughout, the building achieves an EPC rating of ‘A’.
