21 Community centres Jim Tanner Jim Tanner is a partner of Tanner and Partners KEY POINTS © There is a need for a community facility in most arcas © Existing centres are often inadequate Contents 1 Introduction 2 Planning and design 3 Elements ofthe plan Bibliography 1 INTRODUCTION 1.01 Briefing By their nature community buildings must serve a variety of functions among whieh are: © Meetings © Child care (creche, day nursery, pre-school playgroup) {© Childrens” activities (Scouts, guides) {© Concerts and plays © Dances © Parties and x ‘© Exhibitions © Sporting and leisure activities, and ‘© Adult education ceptions ‘The clint, such asa church or & local authority, may have is own specific requirements: but the financial viability of commurity facilities usually depends on letting them out 10 other organisa- tions. At the briefing and planning stage itis wise to consider activites which could or should be accommodated. 1.02 Space requirement and arrangement ‘The following points should be borne in mind: (© Meetings can range from committee meetings of half 2 dozen people to public meetings with an audience of a couple of Ihandred. I this range is anticipated then accommodation should include one or two smaller meeting cooms as well as the main hal (© Child care and childrens” activities invariably require storage for furniture and equipment. If scouts use the facilities on a regular basis, for example, they are likely to need permanent storage for camping equipment, such as tents and poles, and cooking as well as games equipment. © Some indoor sporting activities such as badminton, require generous space provision. See Chapter 25. These are likely 10 dictate the dimensions of the hal. 2 PLANNING AND DESIGN 2.01 Relationships ‘The principal plan elements and their relationship to each other are illustrated in 21.1, 21.2 and 21.3 are typical examples of the ‘ope. cists $32 Unictass F532 UDC 725.835 2.02 Space requirements ‘Table I gives recommended floor areas for various functions and 2.03 Design ‘Community centres are multi-purpose buildings. Needs and Priorities. will often conflict; the skill of the designer in consultation with the client, statutory authorities and specialists ‘must be exercised so that a balance is struck. All the following factors should be considered. 2.04 Structure and construction ‘Most new-build self-contained community centres are domestic in scale. The most economic forms of construction are those used in domestic building: solid ground Moors, masonry load-bearing ‘walls and lightweight flat roofs or framed pitched roofs. Alter native forms of construction are only occasionally justified: for 2 difficult site or when only a short-life building is required, In the later case, itis wor considering proprietary offthe-peg build ings. The appearance of such a building is not always aesthetically pleasing, but there are exceptions. Where the community facilities are to be accommodated in a larger building also used for olber purposes, structure and constuction will be determined by the wider considerations. 2.05 Materials and finishes For self-contained community centes itis worth while designing for minimum maintenance, as upkeep funds are always limited. Choice of finishes should be influenced by the following considerations: [Nature of use may dictate forms of construction ad finish which ‘are non-standard, For example, when regular provision for dancing (panicularly classical ballet or indoor sport such as badminton or _Bymnastcs is required, the floor should provide some resilience and specialist advice should be sought Durability: Some uses, panicularly sporting activities, can be ‘exceptionally hard on surface finishes. The main hall may need 10 be equipped with retractable bleacher seating a used in sports oiveries ‘meeting rooms} MR 2.1 Elements ofthe plan of a community centre212 Community centres car parking Fem 1 mmeetng = ‘i rom init} C] EEO ” — lesa Chl F sor I 2 ae meeting font: om gran) qe a he XS a 21.3 Community cenire for St Francis Church, Westborough: an example of an addition 10 an existing building. Architects: Nye, Saunders & Parmers centres and educational buildings. Pulling out and stacking back such seating creates localised loading and wear. Resilient floors are paticulzrly vulnerable. The manufacturers of the seating and ‘of the floor finishes should be consulted at an early stage. Safety: Users of a community centre range from small children to elderly and disabled people. Finishes should be chosen with a ‘view to safety all floors, ramps and steps should be non-slip. Projections, sharp comers and angles should be avoided. Cleaning: Community facilities get heavy use and limited ‘operating budgets. The building should be easy to clean. 2.06 Means of escape Care in planning and signposting the means of escape in case of, fire is especially important because: (© The users, such as audiences at occasional concerts and meetings. will not be familiar with the building layout,Community centres 2153 “lI Mina or ws fr vai thes tale Regents or ec Pacion “ae per pen om conn aa ie “Gy sedate son nna ea. stay amis, ome HE ‘Slvmemee Wome foed ay" Nan) Snamceuco mew sae e Om) “Reclion Che or hewn eet es eal Sima cisely css wen Cen Buses 035 08 “Act 1989 (see Section 3) and local authorities act Daring tal ‘esponsitte for approving and registering facilities. Many Cc, ay ner ct 0-2 yen 378 Steet pvc ies etc o peeked earees eae Sea te on tae see) Swfing tion O-2year ds iden 8 em ontot 25 Sra Shortt ly ck sie Spenenemone wid 2 stig ome 22h ms pe Cosy Aa th my es fo i ig il ee Siren ig Ry casing “oe schol Pye Assan omen a 3 hopin ‘Tite ant al techs my esa tcc ene dtr rome ose cam ‘© Smal children are likely to be presen in coche o day care 2:10 Child care centre ‘© Elderly and disabled people may use the centre. ‘© Facilities for leisure or educational purposes may be used by people with learning difficulties. Early consultation with the local fire authority is essential 2.07 Licensing ‘A licence will be required for certain uses and these invariably have conditions attached. See Section 3. 2.08 Noise ‘A community centre is more likely to generate than to suffer from high noise levels, They are commonly used at night and at the weekend, and are often situated within residential communities. ‘They must therefore be designed to avoid nuisance. Where uses take place simultaneously, sound separation will be necessary ‘petween a noisy such as a dance and one requiring relative quiet such as a lecture ‘The basic principles of acoustic design should be appli: © Orientation, e.g. location of entrances, exits and windows relative t adjoining buildings © Layout {© Shape of rooms {© Double glazing, only viable in association with mechanical ventilation {© Sound: absorbent finishes, balanced with requirements of dura- bility and cleanability, and © Landscaping, including trees, to contain extemal noise Unless unavoidable, noise-producing spaces should not be located alongside quiet spaces. Absorbent surfaces may have to be ‘concentrated at ceiling level or provided by means of drapes and wall hangings. Management can also play 2 significant part in controlling noise and this should be discussed with the client at an carly stage. 29 Security ‘Community centres are more than usually vulnerable to break-ins and vandalism as they do not have resident caretakers or 24-hour surveillance, are not continuously occupied, awe visited by a lage number of people, contain expensive equipment and are isolated from other buildings. Requirements for security can conflict with those of means of escape, soit is important ro consult with experts and local authorities. ‘Table Il isa checklist of design considerations where ereches. day rurseries or playgroups use the facility. 2.11 Disabled people ‘There are statulory regulations relating 10 access for disabled people. These apply not only those using wheelchairs but also include people with visual and auditory impairments and those using oer types of walking aids. All these have difficulties with steps and changes of direction, and the design of entrances, circulation spaces and toilets should take this into account, 2.12 Legislation ‘This is constantly changing. Table II gives some current examples but is not exhaustive, The local authority will advise on the latest requirements, Its particularly important to ensure full conformity if the public are going to be charged for admission. 3 ELEMENTS OF THE PLAN 301 Entrance “This should be large enough to accommodate an influx of people, such as prior to a meeting or concert. Signposting should be clear as many will be unfamiliar with the building. Unless there is a separate goods entrance, it should allow for for bulk delivery of food and drink, display material and equipment. 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If black-out is required, pay special attention to size and location of windows; mechanical ventilation may be needed, 3.03 Meeting rooms If more than one, make them different sizes. Atematively ave one space that can be divided using sliding folding doors: although some of these do not provide adequate sound insulation. At least ‘one meeting room should have direct access to the hall 3.04 Tiles Separate toilets will be needed for men, women and disabled people. There may also be a need for smaller toilets for little children. Unisex baby-changing facilities should be provided. If considerable sports usage is expected, showers will be necessary for each sex. See Chapter 3. 305 Kitchen ‘There should be little need for more than a domestic kitchen, If catered functions are expected, provide space for setting out and final preparations. See Chapter 18 3.06 Storage ‘A separate store should be provided for each main use: © Kitchen © Sports (© Scating and other furniture CCrechefkindergarden © Scouts. The kitchen store should be directly accessible from the kitchen, the others from the hall. Storage space should be as generous as space and budget will allow. 3.07 Furniture Reter to trade catalogues, and seek specialist advice. 4 BIBLIOGRAPHY PPA Guidelines, published by the Pre-School Playgroups Association