The Larick Centre, Tayport

  • Tayport Community Development Trust
  • £2,300,000
  • SBCC with Quantities

The triple award winning Larick Centre makes a key contribution to create a vibrant and sustainable local community. It is an activity and meeting place with the aim to make a real difference to Tayport’s people of all ages and abilities while promoting and supporting health and fitness, local business, employment, and tourism.

In addition to housing an impressive 50 seat café, this modern multi-purpose community building provides spaces for:

  • Sport and Fitness
  • Health & Wellbeing activities
  • Arts & Crafts workshops
  • Educational workshops
  • Social and Support groups
  • Meetings
  • Live Entertainment
  • Parties & Weddings
  • Indoor & Outdoor Events
  • Exhibitions
  • Tourist Information

In conjunction with other organisations The Larick functions as an outdoor activity centre and information point for visitors to Tayport and Tentsmuir Nature Reserve and Beach.

With its flexible and accessible spaces, the Larick Centre can cater for people with a variety of different needs, providing a high-quality venue for the community, for visitors, and for business.

The building is designed to have light flexible spaces to cater for a range of uses including Sports, Arts, Business and Tourism. The building offers something for everyone. The site has a unique setting located at the southern edge of Tayport next to three Sites of Special Scientific Interest. In responding to the rich history of the site and the wider landscape setting, the proposal touches the landscape lightly, nestling in its surroundings, whilst gently reflecting the industrial past of the site.

Inspired by agricultural forms, the project consists of 2 pitched blocks with regular forms. The dual form massing and material selection reflect the internal organisation of the building. The benefits of maximising the pitched roof forms were recognised to create additional accommodation on an upper floor whilst keeping massing to a minimum.

Materials have been carefully selected to reflect and enhance the evocative and peaceful nature of the surrounding landscape. Vertical timber cladding envelopes the community and tourist strand of the building. The selected silvery grey Scottish Larch alludes to maturity and quality, whilst the silver corrugated roof enhances the tone of the timber and provides a solidity and stillness. In the larger sports block, uniform metal cladding has been select to contrast with the Scottish Larch and make reference to the former steel work industry previously located on the site. Whilst contrasting with the earthiness of the adjacent block, the metal cladding will glisten when wet, reflecting dappled woodland light.

The Larick Centre designed by Collective Architecture and built by Hadden Group has won the Public prize at the 2021 AJ Architecture Awards and the Supreme Award for best overall project at the Dundee Institute of Architects Awards 2021. This completes a 'hat-trick' of awards for this well used community building following it's previous Glasgow Institute of Architects Award.

 

  • Architect: Collective Architecture
  • Quantity Surveyor: Armour Construction Consultants
  • Structural Engineer: David Narro Associates
  • Services Engineer: Rybka