The Club had outgrown their existing facilities and was looking to relocate the clubhouse and upgrade. Our design brief was to provide a ‘Hub Club’ facility that was fully compliant with the standards set by Sports England. (This concept envisages a centre of excellence supporting smaller individual clubs in the locality). The building had to be efficiently planned in order to minimise the volume, cost and energy demands of the building whilst meeting the brief and aspirations of the Club Committee and Members.

The proposal addressed the shortcomings of the existing facilities and met the requirements of the brief to provide multi-function spaces/rooms that can be used for both events held by the Sports Club and the wider community.

The clubhouse was designed to reflect a lightweight pavilion style of architecture typical of this building type, the wrap around viewing gallery overlooking the pitches clearly expressing its function. The building was designed to be robust in use and low in maintenance. This include the introduction of a fabric canopy to the radiused end of the building facing the cricket square so as to minimise/resist any damage by well-struck balls from the cricket square. The use of natural slate to the remainder of the roof helped the building to sit regressively within the landscape. Elevationally natural un-treated oak boarding was used to the upper elevations and brickwork (buff stock brick with blue/black contrast bands) to the lower parts of the building.

The new Clubhouse building was located in a position that makes it easily accessible to those using the grass and all-weather pitches located within the grounds. This encourages greater use of the Pavilion and more importantly the sports field/activities themselves. The position allows good views over both the cricket ground and all-weather pitches. Parents taking their children to the sport activities are be able to use the social spaces within the Pavilion whilst watching or waiting to collect their children.