ABSTRACT
The client, such as a church or a local authority, may have its own specific requirements; but the financial viability of community facilities usually depends on letting them out to other organisations. 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. Most new-build self-contained community centres are domestic in scale. Where the community facilities are to be accommodated in a larger building also used for other purposes, structure and construction will be determined by the wider considerations. 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, are visited by a large number of people, contain expensive equipment and are isolated from other buildings. There are statutory regulations relating to access for disabled people.
