Hodges Gap Pavilion Margate

If there’s one thing we’ve learned makes better buildings, it’s empathy. Architecture never happens in isolation—and simply by being interested and engaged, we’ve found it’s possible to open up the conversations that connect a scheme to its clients and community.

We believe that the more constraints there are, the better the architecture. If there aren’t any constraints, we create them. Challenging sites, existing buildings and complex briefs almost always present incredible opportunities for great design.

To limit our environmental impact, we start with what is already there. By manipulating the form and fabric of a building—whether new or existing—we can work with the existing conditions of topography, light and orientation, and harness the natural energy sources offered by air, ground and water.

If a site’s constraints guide the bigger design decisions, then it’s empathy that informs the smaller, social details. These details frame the human narratives that aren’t included in the brief, anticipating specific moments in the users’ lives.

Good architecture is as much about what happens on the building site as it is about what’s on the drawing board. By working alongside contractors as well as clients we can ring-fence the ideas and details that matter, championing quality and sustainability throughout construction.

Hodges Gap Pavilion Margate

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Work

Walpole Bay - Testing New Uses
Grade II Listed
Walpole Bay Tidal Pool
Margate, Kent

Client

Thanet District Council

Curl la Tourelle Head Architecture (CLTH) have been appointed by Thanet District Council (TDC) to develop a cliffside pavilion at Hodges Gap along Walpole Bay in Margate.

The pavilion will provide new facilities for the swimmers including changing facilities, toilets, showers, and lockers. There will also be a café and welling space to facilitate current and future community activities. The project hopes to reestablish Walpole bay as a destination for wellbeing and tourism and improving access to the coast.

The pavilion is a fun and colourful CLT structure placed on a plinth to help with the building longevity and add to its storm defence. Proposed natural ventilation panels and highly insulated simple building construction ensure a sustainable and cost effective approach to building formation and operation.