Bowbridge Boat House, Wallingford

Oxford Brookes University Boat Club trains and supports a powerful undergraduate rowing team in the UK and is a feeder squad for Team GB's Olympic crews. The Bowbridge Boat House scheme enabled the expansion of the club and the state-of-the-art facility supports the demands of world-class athletes.

Planning constraints surrounding the river frontage informed the sympathetic and subtle design and stringent environmental and ecological benchmarks underpinned the concept. The existing boathouse dictated the progression of the design which sought to sympathetically enlarge the existing boarded barn. The external materials of black timber cladding and black zinc create a robust and modern solution.

We had excellent communication and consultation throughout the process. A solution was found within the budgetary constraints imposed that clearly enabled us to achieve our goals. Spratley & Partners were professional and pragmatic through every step.

Keith Kelly, Director of Sport, Oxford Brookes University