We were introduced to this project by the super enthusiastic and forward-thinking client who had a vision to turn the site into a destination for both water sports lovers and the general public alike. The main building was tired and not easy to access. It also suffered from a lack of wayfinding and minimal usable outside space. The site did, however, have the most incredible views of the lake which were largely ignored by the existing building.
The challenge was to find functional efficiencies on the site to help the operation of the business while introducing a café to help bring more people to the site. We struck upon the idea of creating a large decking area which would become the hub of the site. This would make the most of the views, become a congregation point for lake users and become the outdoor seating spaces for the new café. We also introduced ramps to make the facility fully accessible to all.
If you arrive on any given day during the Spring, Summer or Autumn, you will be greeted with a bustling decking space filled with water sports users, dog walkers, cyclists and other people wanting to take in the spectacular views, delicious food and great coffee and cakes. It has become a great place to visit whether you’re interested in watersports or just want to go for a walk and have a nice café to spend some time in afterwards.
