Hello. Our club is in the process of design/layout for a community centre to cater for our rural GAA club and a few other community organisations.
Has anyone got experience in this area?
What are the downfalls of any projects you have seen or been involved with?
Any clever little design ideas?
Have you any links to other projects?
any help welcome. from size, to what to include or leave out.
we have an engineer on board giving advice for free, but generally engineers don't know very much about building design. we don't have a Dermot Bannon in the club to put in windows everywhere!
Try Whitechurch GAA Club in Cork. They have this sort of setup I believe. I recall they were left some land in a will but the deal was they had to accommodate other organisations from the area as well.
Be realistic. Biggest challenge comes when facility is built as it has to be sustainable. Also you will get plenty of funding for capital work but nothing to cover running costs when completed. Don't go for a vanity project that ends up becoming a millstone around your neck build what meets your requirements
I built a calving shed on the sly a few months ago so I'm your man for any tips.
Quote from: Syferus on February 27, 2017, 12:09:09 AM
I built a calving shed on the sly a few months ago so I'm your man for any tips.
we've enough clowns already telling us what we're doing wrong, cheers
Get an architect on board that has had experience on these types of jobs. This will save time and money in the long run.
Quote from: Hereiam on February 27, 2017, 09:56:52 AM
Get an architect on board that has had experience on these types of jobs. This will save time and money in the long run.
very hard got at the moment.
we're a small community group and really cannot afford money to pay architects
Has your clubs got a community centre or sports hall?
What is the best feature of it? Are there any aspects that have poor design?
Quote from: manfromdelmonte on February 27, 2017, 08:02:37 AM
Quote from: Syferus on February 27, 2017, 12:09:09 AM
I built a calving shed on the sly a few months ago so I'm your man for any tips.
we've enough clowns already telling us what we're doing wrong, cheers
;D
Quote from: Syferus on February 27, 2017, 12:09:09 AM
I built a calving shed on the sly a few months ago so I'm your man for any tips.
[/quote
I'll give your name to Trump when he starts building the Wall. That will keep you busy
Quote from: Dougal Maguire on February 26, 2017, 11:52:49 PM
Be realistic. Biggest challenge comes when facility is built as it has to be sustainable. Also you will get plenty of funding for capital work but nothing to cover running costs when completed. Don't go for a vanity project that ends up becoming a millstone around your neck build what meets your requirements
Absolutely no vanity projects.
Try and get as many of the parish community groups on board and listen to what they want.
Some small to medium sized meeting rooms which can be used for card games, committe mertings etc and that wont have high heating costs can be a great asset. A kitchen facility for medium sized group catering e.g. tea/coffee after meetings etc. would be useful.
Of course a stage area for local talent competitions, drama groups is good. The more use that the various community groups make of the facility the easier it will get the voluntary assistance to manage and maintain the facility
What about asking a masters level architecture student who needs a project to do ?
We're building a new hall and changing rooms at the minute, to answer your question i'd need to know your budget. As someone stated don't go in over your heads but at the same time when constructing a building then that's the time to do the work as it's much more expensive to add to the building a year or two down the line.
Our new hall is a two story building with 2 new changing rooms and a ref changing rooms with kitchen and meeting room and plant room etc...stair wells up and an open hall on the first floor looking out onto pitch...It's all down to the coin and what your club can afford
Quote from: illdecide on March 01, 2017, 09:58:07 AM
We're building a new hall and changing rooms at the minute, to answer your question i'd need to know your budget. As someone stated don't go in over your heads but at the same time when constructing a building then that's the time to do the work as it's much more expensive to add to the building a year or two down the line.
Our new hall is a two story building with 2 new changing rooms and a ref changing rooms with kitchen and meeting room and plant room etc...stair wells up and an open hall on the first floor looking out onto pitch...It's all down to the coin and what your club can afford
What's the budget for this?
If you are in the north, emphasise (and prove) the cross-community aspect. License to print money!
the centre is being built on the basis of a community centre, with use for indoor soccer, badminton, local ICA, gun clubs, card clubs and hopefully other local clubs and societies etc. as well as our underage and adult teams indoor training both male and female
the site is located adjacent to our GAA field with existing dressing rooms already there being retained.
members of the committee are arguing against the provision of new dressing rooms in the new build.
I'd be in favour of new dressing rooms in a new building. You need 4 dressing rooms nowadays.
what sort of flooring did clubs opt for?
Two grass pitches or 1 grass pitch and a full size 3g pitch?
Quote from: JimStynes on March 12, 2017, 07:51:40 PM
Two grass pitches or 1 grass pitch and a full size 3g pitch?
for an indoor centre?
that'd be ambitious
Seems to be a lot of potential user groups there. What do they currently use for meetings etc? Will you definitely get them on board. If you are going to have a sports hall you'll need changing rooms for that, but 2 should do you.
Quote from: manfromdelmonte on March 12, 2017, 09:25:17 PM
Quote from: JimStynes on March 12, 2017, 07:51:40 PM
Two grass pitches or 1 grass pitch and a full size 3g pitch?
for an indoor centre?
that'd be ambitious
No outdoor. We will be looking at an indoor facility at some stage.
Two grass. 3G not all they're cracked up to be. They have a 13-15 year life which means you need to be putting money into a sinking fund to finance the replacement costs.