This exciting community building in Somerset started life as a small project for developing some new changing rooms for the local football team.
However, thanks to a forward-thinking building committee, the client team managed to achieve funding for a much larger scheme providing the opportunity for a brand new community hall.
The new building replaces the old Victory Hall that had approached the end of its useful life. The new facility provides a spacious interior including a 200-seater main hall and raised stage, changing rooms for sports teams (football & tennis), meeting room, commercial kitchen, bar, toilets & stores. The main hall is carefully planned as a multi-activity space including short mat bowls, stage productions, creche facilities and larger community events.
The building is located to take advantage of the local sports pitches and open green ‘function’ area. New car parking also serves the neighbouring youth club building.
The style of the building is deliberately contemporary with characteristic mono pitched roofs, clerestory glazing and generous fenestration. Materials are robust and low maintenance with brickwork and stone elevations combining with glass block elements near the changing rooms. The spaces are designed to be airy and light throughout with high and low-level opening windows using CO2 sensors to provide the main hall with natural ventilation thus avoiding the need for mechanical systems. A large PV array on the main south facing roof pitch contributes to the building’s ‘green’ credentials.
