The fantastic new Stoke Gabriel Boating Association clubhouse on the river Dart was designed as a passivhaus. Located on the River Dart, the new wooden boat house based designed as an upturned boat is clad in cedar, felled from woodlands on the opposite bank of the creek.
Exceptional negotiation was required to deliver a building on a site previously refused. We gained a very detailed understanding of what is required and how to deliver a project on a sensitive site. The project only possible through the huge effort and generosity of club members, volunteers and Sport England.
Location River Dart
Status Finished
Service Architecture, Planning
Sectors Charity, Commercial, Boathouse
Area Stoke Gabriel, The River Dart, Devon
Client Stoke Gabriel Boating Association
A major design challenge was obtaining planning permission for a new building within an area of Outstanding Beauty (new buildings in AONB are not generally allowed). This was achieved through a combination of extensive public consultation, design development and historical research.
The second challenge for both design and construction was a flooding site. This resulted in a ground floor flood compatible design and a large amount of offsite fabrication to allow construction time onsite to be minimised.
The Timber Superstructure was constructed offsite, delivered & erected in a matter of days to minimise the impact of working on a tidal site. This method of construction also ensured the stringent requirements of passivhaus construction could be met.
The Cedar Slatted roof provides decoration and shading, designed to shrug off leaves. An EPDM membrane below provides waterproofing.
The overhanging roof provides a rise soleil to the oversized triple glazing to the South Elevation.
