St James Health and Resource Centre

Client : Great Yarmouth Borough Council

Contract Value : £1.3 million

A development to provide easily accessible community services and resources, constructed within the structure of a disused church in Great Yarmouth.

The design for the building aimed to retain the character of the church and as many of its original features as possible. The architect also wanted to allow users of the internal space to view the original church architecture from many vantage points, and to appreciate the beauty of the stained glass windows.

It was essential that the design ensured the building and its internal spaces were as accessible as possible, within the constraints of the existing church structure.

The building houses office accommodation for local community groups, an IT training facility, a café, crèche, clinics and community room. These rooms have all been constructed within the body of the church and they are accessed via four passageways created between the new structure and the external church walls. The building is therefore easy to navigate and the stained glass windows, ornate pillars and timber roof can be easily viewed.

As well as retaining original features and being easily accessible by the community, the building benefits from the use of low energy technology. Its heat recovery system ensures that heat is not lost when waste air is expelled from the building.

From outside, the church appears almost untouched. Inside a new, flexible and welcoming collection of rooms and facilities have been created for the local community.

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