The ALPHA Centre, Gorleston

Stage: Tender

Client: SHINE

Value: £550K

The Alpha Centre replaces Shine’s existing vocational centre on the same site in Gorleston and accommodates support services for the handicapped and their carers. The building is single storey and L-shaped in plan; one wing containing activity spaces and the other support and administrative facilities. Constructed from a highly insulated timber frame it is clad in a combination of brickwork and render with a standing seam aluminium roof of distinctive profile. The building is seen to be a simple and cost-effective response to the client’s needs following the preparation of earlier proposals (by others) that proved unaffordable.  Located within a dedicated flood zone, resilience measures had to be employed within the design to satisfy planning conditions.