Warwick House

The new library and day centre for Sussex County Council is about to complete in Seaford. Work began on the £6 million development in December 2009 and the new building replaces Seaford’s old public library building with an impressive and innovative mixed use scheme.

Warwick House will continue to provide Seaford with (significantly larger) library facilities, but in addition will now offer an adult day care centre and 9 one bedroom flats for adults with learning difficulties, plus a one bedroom flat for care staff.

The space has been designed to be flexible throughout so it can be used in a variety of ways, now and in the future, with many of the spaces available for the community to hire out of hours. A focal point of the centre are the roof gardens, which are open to all and provide valuable outdoor space in a compact town centre.

Writing about the impending opening the Eastbourne Herald states ‘The innovative scheme is the first of its kind in the county and is part of an ongoing investment into library services by East Sussex County Council.'

Additionally, the scheme will support a new service to offer more direct access to resources in the community for older people with dementia or other mental health problems who have been assessed as needing support to help them live independently.’

The building is expected to open to the public in summer 2014.

http://www.eastbourneherald.co.uk/news/local/multi-million-pound-seaford-library-ready-to-open-1-5882922

Newhaven Growth Quarter Awarded £1.9m by Big Lottery Fund

RHP have been working with Lewes District Council, Sussex Downs College, Sussex Community Development and Basepoint to develop exciting new plans for Denton Island, East Sussex. The Newhaven Growth Quarter scheme will create and sustain local jobs for local people and has just recently been awarded £1.9million in funding from the Coastal Communities Fund.

The leader of Lewes District Council said ‘This is fantastic news for Newhaven and creates a real catalyst for change, offering a unique opportunity for exciting economic growth within the ‘Clean, Green and Marine’ technologies sector, building upon the arrival of the new University Technical College.’

The project comprises 5 key construction activities:

• An extension to the Newhaven Enterprise Centre will create additional space for new and emerging businesses specialising in the ‘Clean Tech Sector’
• An extension to the Sussex Community Development Association’s (SCDA) nursery and crèche facilities will help support parents seeking to re-enter the workplace
• Training rooms are to be built at SCDA which will provide space for local people to develop new opportunities to develop their careers and business ideas
• The Quarter Café will serve as a focal point for the Quarter and will be located within the Sussex Downs College campus
• The creation of an attractive campus style environment for all Newhaven Growth Quarter users

Stone Age artefacts found during excavations at Seaford Head School

Evidence of activity from the Stone Age has been uncovered behind the existing buildings on the site of the new Seaford Head Sixth Form.

Hundreds of flint pieces, all untouched since around 5,000 BC have been unearthed, but the most exciting piece so far is an arrowhead measuring three centimetres in diameter, dating back to a time when stone tools were made from flint and chet and shaped or chipped for use as cutting tools and weapons.

A statement from the archeological team said: “The East Sussex County Council Archaeologist was informed and further investigations by ASE have identified that this deposit is rich in flint artefacts dating from the Later Mesolithic (6,500-4500BC), Neolithic (4,500-2,500BC) and Bronze Age (2,500-600BC).

“This evidence is indicative of past human activity (principally tool manufacture) on site spanning a long period of time, although not necessarily continuously."

The county’s archaeological team has been on site for the last couple of weeks undertaking a full scale examination. Meanwhile, work on the Old Annex building continues, to ensure one phase of the build is complete and ready for occupation for the induction week in July.

Due to the nature of the find Seaford Museum are keen to create an information guide so that the discovery can be viewed by the community once the dig has been concluded. 

Cambridge Design and Construction Award 2013 Winners Announced

Three developments have been awarded top honours as part of Cambridge City Council’s annual design and construction awards. The announcement was made at the annual dinner of the Cambridge Forum for the Construction Industry (CFCI) on Friday 21st March. The awards are co-sponsored by the CFCI and Cambridge News.

From 27 submissions for the four categories, judges short listed ten entrants. St Catharine’s College McGrath Centre was awarded best Alteration or Extension of Existing Building, which provides the college with a new multipurpose auditorium, an extended and refurbished library, a new bar and a new JCR. The new facilities are set within a re-landscaped courtyard space adjacent to the Grade 1 listed college chapel.

"Brilliant news about the award! We love to bask in reflected glory...
The building is really superb by the way - nothing but praise from all who use it and we're all delighted." Prof Jean Thomas, Master of the College

 

St Catharine's College, McGrath Centre winner of the best 'Alteration or Extension of Existing Building' Award