ULLSWATER YACHT CLUB

“There are three things that ought to be considered before some things are spoken: the manner, the place, and the time.”
Robert Southey, Lake Poet (1774-1843)

This project uses the work of the Lake Poets, and particularly Robert Southey, as a departure point to develop a proposal for the new Ullswater Yacht Club. The Lake Poet’s work and its relationship to the landscape, its monumentality, personal relationships, and an interest in epic historic narratives are key influences on the scheme.

The proposal is realised as a low-slung building formed in heavy slate walls, which give a sense of permanence. Large openings are used to create a strong connection between the internal spaces, the landscape and the lake, with the orientation of these designed to afford views focussed on particular locations associated with the yacht races- starting line, finishing line, main racing areas. The use of rusticated local slate allows plants and mosses to quickly make home in the walls, giving the building a feeling that it has been there for a very long time. The connection to the lake is further reinforced by the introduction of a hard landscaped, stepped, terrace which can be used for seating, and which leads directly into the lake. The building has been given a deliberately human scale, as it is as much about the gathering of people around a shared social interest, as the activity itself. 

Location: - Ullswater, Lake District
Client: - Ullswater Yacht Club
Value: - £600,000
Status: - Competition