In February 2011 Williams-Architects entered an RIBA competition to design a new club house for Ullswater Yacht Club in Cumbria.  The competition brief set out a series of challenging conditions which the design had to respond to, including as a high risk of flooding, the sensitive nature of the National Park setting, as well as the functional requirements of the club.  In response to this brief we designed a building with a simple, flexible form using local, natural materials in a contemporary way.

Our design approach was to start at first principles.  We evaluated several locations on the site before selecting a position which would give the best view of the lake whilst allowing the old clubhouse to operate during construction.

To mitigate the impact of flooding we located uses on the ground floor that could tolerate occasional inundation, such as changing rooms.  These spaces would be robust and easy to clean down.  Upstairs, the club house itself would be safe from flooding with elevated panoramic views across the lake.