Ilsington Conservation Centre, Dorchester, Dorset


The Ilsington Conservation Centre is located on the banks of the river Frome, adjacent to a triple SSSI. The building houses monitoring equipment for the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust in addition to providing facilities for day fishing parties and visiting school groups. The 2,750 ft2 building is raised to avoid flooding and is designed to blend into the surrounding landscape with wildflower planted banking and a biodiversity roof. The building is environmentally sustainable with very low energy consumption, a low carbon footprint and excellent BREEAM score. The local parish council, schools and conservation groups supported this scheme through the planning process.