This project at the former Portsmouth Naval Base has transformed the striking boatshed, originally constructed in 1938.

Originally built for ship refurbishment during WWII, it is the only boathouse known to have been constructed in a home dockyard during the rapid re-armament period of the 1930s.

The new building caters for three discreet building - a new timber boatbuilding academy, exhibition space and café. This mixed typology, in an old boathouse that suffers the gruelling effects of salty coastal winds, called for a lot of careful planning and robust design.

Early in the design process the client agreed that the large, existing building would remain unheated and uninsulated. Heat losses were kept to a minimum in some areas, with upgraded fabric and insulation, and double-glazed modules standing in the place of single-paned glass.

Zoned energy metering systems for water, electricity and heating help the various organisations operating under the same roof measure their use and carbon demand. The building’s energy and carbon efficiency has been optimised by adopting a minimalist design approach, giving maximum control and energy accountability to the occupants.