place : architecture

Cherry Willingham Marina development

Planning Permission has just been granted for a this new development at Cherry Willingham.  The development will include Marina buildings comprising workshop, chandlery, café and boaters’ facilities, a hotel with restaurant/bar and function facilities, along with a series of woodland cabins, all intended to boost local tourism in the area.

The design strategy for the hotel buildings is to ‘re-create’ a traditional cluster of barns around a  crew yard using Lincolnshire farmyard buildings as a model.  This re-created series of barns is then ‘adapted’ and ‘extended’ using a more contemporary architectural language.

The design strategy for the waterfront buildings is to create a cluster of simple volumes which refer to traditional water mills and wharf-side warehouse, but in a contemporary language which reflects modern and industrial construction and uses related to boatyard/marina developments.

The buildings will make use of low energy passive design and technology to minimise energy use and give well lit, well ventilated internal environments.  The natural orientation of the site with road and public access to the north and south facing slope and water frontage allow for a natural north/south split with larger openings and glazing facing south and more enclosed, highly insulated north elevations.  The hotel courtyard and waterfront buildings both have open aspects to the south allowing sunlight and views in and out from the main spaces onto external public active spaces.  Low maintenance, long life, natural materials reduce long term costs and help root the structures in the environment.