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Architects: Child Graddon Lewis
- Area: 35 m²
- Year: 2020
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Photographs:Jim Stephenson
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Manufacturers: Revit
Text description provided by the architects. Saltholme Pools Hide is the refurbishment of a dilapidated bird hide at Saltholme Nature Reserve in the North-East of England, set amidst a rich wetland habitat surrounded by the unique & spectacular juxtaposition of heavy lumps of Teesside industry. Designed by Child Graddon Lewis for the RSPB & Teesside Environmental Trust, the project unlocks this outstanding destination by transforming a formerly unwelcoming building into a popular community asset and landmark location. The hide now truly provides an experience that is enhanced with each visit – all despite significant budget and site constraints.
Scheme Description - The roots were borne by an understanding of the enormous potential in unlocking this unique site, even by utilizing the hide’s existing structure: an uninspiring circular breeze-block and steel frame with a solid concrete base. Child Graddon Lewis immediately sought to maximize all elements of the existing fabric, punching through the breeze-block walls and utilizing natural materials such as birchwood to apply an inviting and tactile interior. The crowning element is the introduction of a second story, inserted at the core of the existing structure and now allowing for full panoramic views of the spectacular surroundings and inhabitant wildlife. Alongside providing an elevated position to experience the expansive vistas, the new structure incorporates a roof light to transform a previously drab building into one that enjoys warm bursts of natural light. Despite logistic challenges, the professional team showcased an intensive approach towards resourcefulness, collaboration and communication to deliver this project under the £150,000 budget. Not only is this evidenced by the zero environmental impact placed upon the site and its wildlife inhabitants during the build, but also by the successful construction of SaltholmePools during a narrow build window – staged specifically between bird breeding seasons. The result is a cherished community asset that now attracts a substantially larger demographic of visitors to this beautiful site beyond the resilient avid birdwatcher – including local schools, families, young adults, tourists, and organizations supporting less privileged members of the surrounding communities. Such an increase in footfall and visitor demographic has allowed the RSPB to now roll out its education sessions – one of the organization’s core values – for all visitors to Saltholme, benefitting both wildlife and the public by raising awareness and supporting the RSPB’s Saving Nature strategy. To complement this, RSPB Saltholme is also now staging popular accredited Continuing Professional Development (CPD) events and courses for local schools, institutions and organizations, which outline the benefits of Saltholme Pools as an ‘outdoors experience’, helping pupils and members of the community build character, develop resilience and improve their well-being through curriculum or socially-linked practical lesson ideas.
Sustainability - RSPB Saltholme is situated close to the mouth of the River Tees and holds internationally designated status for its assemblage of wintering wildfowl and waders. It forms part of the Teesmouth and Cleveland Coast Special Protection Area (SPA) and is a hidden parcel of Eden amongst a patchwork of heavy industry. Saltholme offers wildfowl and waders in the spring, as well as vast panoramas across the Tees estuary, including the surrounding industrial landscape and the Eston Hills to the south. Key habitats include wet grassland plus reed beds, fenland and several pools and scrapes. Given the outstanding location and the opportunity to enhance such an environmentally rich site, Child Graddon Lewis’s design was drawn and compelled towards capturing the beauty of Saltholme. It was therefore instantly crucial to harmonize the building, nature and inhabitant wildlife as one. This informed a natural and sustainable materiality that not only reflected the surrounding context of the project but was fit for purpose and required minimal maintenance requirements. This includes a pitched green roof and stained timber cladding – which mimics the surrounding wetland by flickering as the light traces along its surface. In addition to this and to enhance the project’s environmental impact, landscaping to the pools provides a more beneficial feeding habitat for wading birds and breeding habitats. The retrofit further utilized the existing structure of the building.
The project was meticulously planned ahead of construction stages to eradicate any environmental impact. All materials were manufactured offsite, creating a speedier on-site process alongside substantially reducing construction-related vehicle movements to the bare minimum. Despite logistic challenges, the professional team came together as one and staged a rigorous process of collaboration throughout – a working relationship that is embodied by the intensive approach towards resourcefulness, collaboration and communication to deliver this project under the £150,000 budget. Not only is this evidenced by the delivery of this project with zero environmental impact to the site and its wildlife inhabitants, but also by the successful construction of Saltholme Pools Hide during a narrow build window staged specifically between bird breeding seasons. This retrofit does not incorporate any electrical or mechanical services and has been constructed as a standalone unheated space resulting in zero-energy consumption to operate the hide. The visitors who come to observe the local wildlife occupy both sheltered and unsheltered spaces across the nature reserve and dress accordingly to suit the weather. It was an intentional decision to maintain this experience using the hide to rest and shelter from the elements. Openable windows have been incorporated to provide natural cross-ventilation and cooling in warmer seasons.
Universal Design - Intended to harmonize the building and nature as one, a green roof and stained timber cladding – which flickers as the light traces along its surface – have both been added to the exterior. A universal approach towards design has dramatically increased the accessibility of the building to all, including the sensitive landscaping of the leading ‘Dragonfly Path’. New signage at the entrance is visible through each step of this scenic approach, inspiring a sense of place. In addition, landscaping to the pools provides a more beneficial feeding habitat for wading birds and a breeding habitat. The design is inspired by the principle aspiration shared between the practice and RSPB Saltholme, which outlines that the conservation of biodiversity is a moral imperative and that wildlife enriches peoples’ lives. It was therefore crucial that the project provided Saltholmewith a sense of place, adding another focal point to showcase the unique habitat and improve accessibility for all on-site. As the Teesmouth area is an internationally recognized important region for wildlife and Saltholme offers visitors a rare opportunity to get close to the wildlife, enjoy and appreciate the spectacle, the brief was extremely clear and shared in vision: transform an uninspiring area of the reserve into a new vibrant zone that offers a fully immersive experience. In July 2020 and following the success of Saltholme Pools Hide in transforming this unique nature reserve, The Guardian named Saltholme as one of the 10 best nature reserves to visit in the United Kingdom. “We are absolutely delighted with the new RSPB Saltholme Pools Hide, which is an important new attraction for wildlife, set among the industrial landscape of Teesside – it has been incredible to welcome and witness new visitors to the site, to come along and see the fantastic views from the hide and experience all the wider Saltholme reserve has to offer. We cannot thank Child Graddon Lewis and the team for this amazing design, the fact that the former hide was utilized to create something so special with such a modest budget.” Martin Harper, director of conservation at the RSPB.
Community Impact and Engagement - Child Graddon Lewis’s design has transformed a utilitarian and unwelcoming building into one that is now highly regarded as a significantly enhanced experience, bringing visitors and nature together as one, and ultimately creating a landmark location for locals within the Teesmouth and Cleveland Coastline and beyond. Braced with a modest budget of just under £150,000, the result is a cherished community asset that now attracts a substantially increased demographic of visitors to this unique site beyond the avid birdwatcher – including families and young people, tourists, local schools, local groups and organizations supporting less privileged members of the surrounding communities. Such an increase in footfall and visitor demographic has allowed the RSPB to roll out its education sessions – one of the organization's core values – for all visitors to Saltholme, benefitting both wildlife and the public by raising awareness and supporting the RSPB’s Saving Nature strategy. To complement this, RSPB Saltholme is also now staging popular accredited Continuing Professional Development (CPD) events and courses for local institutions and organizations, which outline the benefits of Saltholme Pools Hide as an ‘outdoors experience’, helping pupils and members of the community build character, develop resilience and improve their well-being through curriculum or socially-linked practical lesson ideas.
This overall strengthened presence within the local community has also allowed RSPB Saltholme to raise awareness towards and support other neighboring organizations through programs and social media, including the Durham Wildlife Trust, Enjoy Tees Valley, Visit Hartlepool, Tees Rediscovered and Stockton Council. Selected following an international design competition, Child Graddon Lewis, therefore, worked hand-in-hand with RSPB Saltholme and The Teesside Environmental Trust – who assisted towards the realization of the project through funding – to communicate and develop all objectives, drawing upon all specialist knowledge and expertise through series of design workshops. Understanding and supporting the needs and concerns of every stakeholder characterized the project. Set amidst a rich wetland habitat, the design had to work hard on limited resources to give something back of value to everyone – a value found in the resourcefulness of the team, simplicity yet ingenuity of the design, and in a renewed appreciation of nature for what has resulted in a dramatically increased visitor level that will be sustained for generations to come. Additionally, the project will inspire a legacy nationwide by creating and maximizing similar hide projects that bring visitors and local communities together with nature. Following the success of the scheme, the RSPB is now committed to rolling out the design as a case study across various sites within the UK, utilizing outstanding locations and giving more reverence to the organization’s educational message.
