Great News for Gissing Community Building

Another Design Award for Gissing Community Building

The little South Norfolk village of Gissing has won yet another accolade for its stunning new Community Building, an LABC regional building excellence award. It was entered for consideration in the “Best Public service building” category and its success there means that it will now be short-listed for the national Grand Finals.

LABC represents local authority building controls departments in England and Wales and promotes the design and construction of buildings that are safe, accessible and environmentally effective. Aspects that are considered include the level of compliance with Building Regulations, the building’s performance and sustainability, the use of technical innovation, to what extent the community was involved in the project, and whether it was delivered on time and to budget.

 Gissing Community Building’s success in meeting those criteria was announced on Friday 29 June at this year’s LABC Building Excellence East Anglia Awards at King's College, Cambridge, a black tie event attended by over 250 building industry professionals. There to receive the award was the building’s project team, client architect Peter Mason, Omnis Construction Ltd, Thurlow Architects Ltd, Castons, Johns Slater & Haward and Adam Power Associates.

Gissing’s Community Building was completed in April 2017 and offers state-of-the-art facilities in a tranquil, village setting. Commissioned by The Heart of Gissing, the village charity, to improve and extend facilities for the local area’s groups and events, it has become a popular choice for an increasingly wide range of individual and business users. It has already won the best “Design for Working and Services” in the South Norfolk Council’s Design Awards 2017 scheme. 

Visually stunning both inside and outside, the building incorporates light and airy interior spaces which can be easily adjusted to provide a celebration venue, rehearsal space, meeting room or comfortable setting for classes, clubs and informal get-togethers. Sophisticated energy systems ensure a comfortable environment whatever the weather and whatever the user’s requirements.  Large windows overlook the local meadows, the kitchen is equipped to usually high standards and there is an outside seating area.  

Commenting on the 14 winning projects and four highly commended projects, LABC’s Chief Executive Paul Everall said that all had reached the highest building standards and excelled in areas such as performance, sustainability, working relationships and problem-solving, adding “The awards are an opportunity for us to celebrate some of the very best in construction in England and Wales, recognising the high level of quality and skill that we can – and do – reach in the UK”.

Expressing her delight at winning the award, Rose  Eddington trustee of The Heart of Gissing charity, said “It confirms what we all knew in Gissing, that we have a very special building, thanks to a highly professional project team and huge community commitment and involvement. And it is making a tremendous contribution to community life here.”