Ullswater yacht club is not only a place where you can learn to sail but also has a thriving social calender including some large races which attract competitors and spectators in their thousands. The existing clubhouse suffered major flood damage and this together with the accommodation no longer being large enough prompted the club to launch an RIBA Competition.

Our competition entry proposed a simple elegant and economical enclosure raised up on bunded ground above the flood plane housed under a single timber lined roof.

The club room is a glazed enclosure which benefits from uninterrupted views up and down the lake. in contrast the changing facilities are housed in a stone enclosure. Ramps and steps link the shore to the building and on race days these become a grandstand to view the race.

The building uses a fabric first approach to energy use, with high insulation values and a passive ventilation strategy. Heating would be provided by a water source heat pump, making use of the adjacent resource.