design realisation report - caravan club magazine april 2050

April 2050 The Caravan Club Magazine

April 2050

Design Realisation Report • Context • Delivery • Construction • Performance

THE CARAVAN CLUB

2 The Caravan Club Magazine

Call for entries for this year’s

competition. Entries should be short

films inspired by Canvey Common, of

no more than 3 minutes long. Full

information and past winners available

on our website.

Entries should be submitted by April 30th 2050.

Visit www.caravanclub.co.uk for more details.

Competition Winner 2049

April 2050 The Caravan Club Magazine 3

THIS MONTH’S COVER Initial concept image of the new Town Centre

at Thorney Bay, as seen through the

wilderness of Canvey Common.

PATRON HRH Queen Consort Catherine

President: Viscount Coke

Chairman: G J Chamberlain

Director General: Nick Lomas

THE BUILDING Client: Caravan Club

Users: Caravanners of Canvey Island

Project Manager

Architect

Planning Authority: Castle Point

Borough Council

Consultants:

Planning Consultant, Environmental

Energy and Sustainability Consultant,

Structural Engineer, Sound Engineer,

Services Engineer

THE SITE

Address: Main Road

Thorney Bay

Canvey Common

Essex

FROM THE EDITOR As the heart of our community on

Canvey Island, Thorney Bay will be

developed as a new Town Centre,

providing services and infrastructure

as well as the new social centre of

the Caravan Club Headquarters. The

proposed new CCHQ will house

various public areas including an

exhibition space, an indoor and outdoor cinema, a

function room and cafe, as well as providing a

workshop / TV studio, offices and a boardroom for the

Caravan Club itself.

This month’s issue of The Caravan Club Magazine is a

special issue, documenting the new building in four

distinct sections: Building Context, Building Delivery,

Building Construction and Building Performance. This

outlines the significance of the new building in terms of

the site and the narrative of Canvey Common, the

Caravan Club as the client and contractual and

administrative relationships, the structural and material

decisions, and the strategic approach to a sustainable

and comfortable building operating within the wilderness

of Canvey Common.

This issue aims to give our readers and members a

comprehensive guide to the

building and its story.

Enjoy the issue!

RECYCLE YOUR MAGAZINE AND SHARE THE JOY OF

CARAVANNING—PASS ME ON TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY

April 2050

THE CARAVAN CLUB


“The overall aim of the club is still to promote and connect those interested in caravanning...” pg 33

4 The Caravan Club Magazine Main image: Initial conceptual collage of new Town Centre at Thorney Bay. Architects Own.


Contents April 2050

PROJECT

OVERVIEW 08 Introduction

10 Caravan Club

Headquarters

BUILDING

CONTEXT 12 Urban Context

14 Canvey Island

18 Into the Wilderness

20 Free to Inhabit

22 Canvey Common

24 The Proposal

Proposal and Aspirations

24 A Vibrant Town Centre

26 Access and Connection

BUILDING

DELIVERY 32 Client and Programme

The Caravan Club

34 Programme/Organisation

36 Funding & Revenue

38 Club Together

40 Pre-Contract

Competition &

Appointment

42 Procurement & Contract

44 Post-Contract

Regulations and Stages

of Work

BUILDING

CONSTRUCTION 48 Stucture

Structural Strategy

50 Main Structure

52 Secondary Structures

54 Materiality

Materials Strategy

56 Exhibition Space

58 TV Studio / Workshop

60 Public Areas and

Function Room

62 Offices and Boardroom

BUILDING

PERFORMANCE 66 Performance Strategy

68 Systems

Environmental Strategy

70 Heating & Zoning

72 Ventilation & Cooling

74 Lighting & Energy Use

76 Acoustic Performance

78 Circulation & Fire

APPENDICES 82 Drawings

84 The Original Thorney Bay

86 Caravan Community

88 Defining Requirements

90 Bibliography

TURN

TO P18

CARAVANS

INHABITING THE

WILDERNESS


6 The Caravan Club Magazine 6 The Caravan Club Magazine

April 2050 The Caravan Club Magazine 7 April 2050 The Caravan Club Magazine 7

View of CCHQ from Public Square. Architects Own.


Introduction In the Post-Scarcity world of 2050, the wilderness of Canvey

Common is inhabited by a community of Caravan Enthusiasts...

The Project is driven by the idea of

Post-Scarcity, a future condition

where technology has developed to

such a degree that it has enabled a

world where goods, services and

information are widely available

through automated systems,

theoretically also resulting in an

abundance of natural resources.

The idea of a world without

constraints, and the social

implications of this, is the main

driver behind the society on Canvey

Common. People are no longer

restricted to living in one place for

access to work or families, and

instead are free to roam and

explore the world as they choose.

People are also free to create the

world that they live in, with more

time to engage in creative pursuits

and to transform their worlds

according to their day-to-day

whims. This idea is epitomised in

the life of a caravanner.

Inspired by the freedom to create

and the freedom to roam, Canvey

Common has no permanent or fixed

residences, and instead is inhabited

by a community of caravanners

living in highly individual,

personalised caravans.

Canvey Island has a rich history as

a tourist seaside destination with a

number of caravan parks along the

coastline over the years. However it

has also always boasted a tight-knit

community, and a colourful past.

After its heyday in the 1960s and

with the introduction and

subsequent abandonment of the Oil

Refinery sites in the late 1970s,

Canvey Island became less and

less a desirable place to live and

work. Its reputation as a ‘council

island’ in the early 21st century led

to its gradual decline and neglect.

PROJECT OVERVIEW | INTRODUCTION


Over the last 30 years as the final

people left the island, it became a

wilderness, reverted back to its

natural state of grassland and salt

marshes. Now, in the year 2050,

Canvey Island is being

rediscovered. Caravan settlements

have sprung up organically over the

island, and a migration of like-

minded creative caravanners now

inhabit the island.

This community, although individual

and self-sufficient in many ways, is

in need of a social meeting point, a

place of celebration and of coming

together, a ‘Town Centre’. The

traditional caravan park typology

often houses communal facilities or

meeting places that are uninspiring

and inflexible for their transient

inhabitants, as well as caravan

layouts that also reflect a static,

monotonous way of life. The new

Town Centre proposed by this

project, therefore, needs to be

radically different and appropriate

for the creative, fluctuating caravan-

obsessed community within it.

POST-SCARCITY

“there cannot be true freedom without

creativity”.

“…imagining a society in which each

man is free to create his life, to give it

shape according to his deepest

aspirations…seek to transform, to

recreate, those surroundings, that world,

according to his new needs.”

– Constant Nieuwenhuis, ‘New

Babylon’


Caravan Club Headquarters

A building for the celebration, showcase and development of caravans,

the Caravan Club HQ is a nerve centre for the community.

The main concept for the Caravan

Club Headquarters is the idea of

celebration and a showcase of the

caravan and the life of a

caravanner. It is a kind of theatre

that will unite the community and

spark conversation and social

interaction.

The heart of the building is a

workshop / tv studio that should be

viewable from the public areas of

the building. This space was

conceived as a kind of vertical

workshop that showcases the

caravan and the act of fixing it, a

popular pastime within the caravan

community.

PROJECT OVERVIIEW | BUILDING


April 2050 The Caravan Club Magazine 11 April 2075 The Caravan Club Magazine 11 April 2050 The Caravan Club Maga-Main Image: Conceptual image of workshop. Architects Own.

Photograph of caravan workshop (Google Images), Photograph of car workshop (2013) Architects Own.


View of Thorney Bay Town Centre. Architects Own.


Canvey Island The local motto “Ex Mare Dei Gratia”, describes Canvey as “From the

sea by the Grace of God...”

Canvey Island is an island of some

seven square miles lying 30 miles

east of London, off the South Coast

of Essex in the Thames Estuary. It

is below sea level with beaches to

the south and some 14 miles of

high sea walls.

In the 17th Century if was cultivated

as arable farm land, connecting

various different islands of salt

marshes into one larger area with

the creation of the sea wall around

its perimeter. This community was

largely made up of Dutch farmers,

producing goods to trade in

London. Therefore the whole area

is a man-made island, with an

essentially artificial landscape. The

island has been utilized over the

years mainly to serve London,

either farming produce,

petrochemical storage and

distribution, a residential satellite or

a tourist haven.

The island is roughly divided into

two parts, either side of Thorney

Bay. The Eastern side was

traditionally the residential side of

the island, dominated by housing

estates, schools, and the original

town centre, as well as the pubs

and restaurants of the tourist

heyday.

BUILDING CONTEXT | URBAN CONTEXT


The western side has an entirely

different heritage, dominated by the

abandoned industrial sites and

farmland, as well as the huge

historic caravan park site next to

Thorney Bay itself. The history of

Canvey Island can be quite clearly

seen in the features of the western

wilderness, which remain to be

explored by the Canvey

Commoners: Thorney Bay,

Deadman’s Point, Hole Haven, and

Canvey Wick.

The natural environment of Canvey

Island is salt marshes in the

Thames Estuary and low lying

grassland. About 80% of Essex’s

coastal marshes were lost since the

1930s, being converted to arable,

building and landfill sites. Canvey

Island is one of the most bio-

diverse areas in Western Europe.

Photograph of Canvey Island before the abandonment in 2014

Main image: Aerial Photograph (2013) Google Images.



“dominated by the abandoned industrial sites and farmland, as well as the huge historic caravan park site next to Thorney Bay itself ”

1

2

1-3 Photographs of Canvey Island (2013). Architects Own

4 Photograph of Canvey Wick (2013). www.buglife.org


4

3

2

1

3

4


Into the Wilderness

After years of neglect Canvey Island has become a wilderness of salt

marsh and grassland, ready to be enjoyed and re-explored.

With the gradual abandonment of

Canvey Island since 2015, the island was reverted back to its natural landscape of grassland and salt marshes. This was also enhanced by the gradual breakdown of the sea wall and

reintroduction of creeks criss-crossing the island.

The Thames Gateway Green Strategy of 2005 aimed to achieve:

“A living system threading through the urban and rural landscape,

connecting places that are attractive to people, wildlife and business, and providing clean air, food, water, energy, minerals and materials”.1

This led to a new interest in the

natural beauty of Canvey Island and the surrounding boroughs in South Essex, seeking to enhance and protect the natural and historic heritage as well as creating a green link along the Thames into London.

With the exponential growth of technology and the increasing globalisation of mega-cities and mega-regions, the tradition of the Thames Gateway as a residential satellite of London was no longer

relevant. Instead the area could be utilised for reasons other than ‘suburbia’ as it was then known. Canvey Island at this time was also a particularly deprived residential

area with a reputation of poverty

and crime.

As a result of the Green Strategy and the already deprivation of the island, the Government transformed a large area of Canvey Island into a wildlife reserve, the wilderness we

see today.


1 Thames Gateway South Essex Green Grid Strategy. April 2005. pg 5.

2 National Geographic. Cary Wolinsky 2001 (http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0101/

feature6/


PRECEDENTS

Quartzsite, Arizona, USA

Quartzsite in Arizona, named ‘America’s largest parking lot’2

(National Geographic), is a small town in the desert that

grows with the influx of RVs in January and February for the

town’s gem show and swap meet of local minerals, rocks and

gems. The RVs inhabitation of the landscape is awe-

inspiring—being both alien and at harmony with the

landscape.

Fresh Kills, NYC, USA

Once covering 2200 acres, Fresh Kills was the main landfill

site for New York City. Today the land is being transformed

into reclaimed wetlands, recreational facilities and

landscaped public parkland.

“...the area could be utilised for reasons other than ‘suburbia’ as it was then known...”

Built up areas

Wilderness

Creeks / Rivers

Caravan Settlements

Thorney Bay

Main Image: Aerial representations of Canvey Island Wilderness. Architects Own.

Precedent Images: Both Google Images


Free to Inhabit Deadman’s Point with its oil jetties and industrial landscape overrun by

nature, provides an area to inhabit and enjoy.

Canvey Common today has some

remnants of the past communities

on the island. These, now largely

abandoned, now provide tourist

attractions and points of reference

within the wilderness.

The oil refinery site at Deadman’s

Point is the main attraction, together

with the Lobster Smack Pub at Hole

Haven.


20 The Caravan Club Magazine Main image: Photo representation of Deadman’s Point Oil Jetty. Architects Own.


Canvey Common A ‘Common Land’ to explore and inhabit, Canvey Common retains the

identity of Canvey Island, but the transience of the new society.


According to the Government:

“Common land is owned by

someone, but other people can

use it in specific ways, the ’right

to roam’.” 1

In 2050, Canvey Island is partly

owned by the local authority and

the Caravan Club itself. The land is

registered as ‘Common Land’, or

‘Open Access Land’, where legally

anyone can walk freely without

having to stick to pathways. There

are also special permissions

organised by the Caravan Club that

also allow people to camp on this

land.

The arrangement of the island is

roughly mapped out above,

however it is always changing.

Thorney Bay acts as the Town

Centre, with the more permanent

buildings and services. The main

roads run from Thorney Bay to

Deadman’s Point and Hole Haven,

and from Thorney Bay north to the

mainland. A number of features

have also been informally named

over the years to aid navigation

around the island.

1 https://www.gov.uk/common-land-village-greens


PRECEDENTS

Slab City, nr Niland, California, USA2

A temporary city were residents in RV trucks occupy an

abandoned military base.

Main Image: Official Unofficial Map of Canvey Common by local residents

Photograph of Slab City (Google Images), Official Unofficial Map of Slab City by residents


BUILDING CONTEXT | THE PROPOSAL

A sustainable and rational development, uniting and facilitating the rural,

transient community on Canvey Island.

The Proposal & Aspirations

The proposal is to create a new

Town Centre at Thorney Bay which connects with the wider wilderness of Canvey Island and unites and celebrates the Caravan Community, as well as providing a new headquarters for the Caravan Club

itself.

The main concept for the programme of the Town Centre is the idea of a centre for the community. Thorney Bay will symbolise the heart of Canvey

Common, an amalgamation of caravans, people and services, and a hub of activity. The current state of Canvey Island as a wilderness further underlines this need for a new social and functional centre.

The aims of the new Town Centre

are as follows:

To create a vibrant Town

Centre that celebrates and facilitates the existing community, and encourages

tourism and enjoyment of Canvey Common.

To comply with National and

Local Planning Policy for both Traveller Sites and Canvey Island as a whole, creating an

economically , socially and environmentally sustainable site.

To provide the required

community services such as

electricity, water and waste collection.

To respond to and enhance

the natural beauty of Canvey Island, highlighted in the Local Plan Policy NE 4: Canvey

Marshes Historic Natural Landscape, which seeks to enhance the quality of the landscape and the public’s access to it.1

To respond to the topography

of the site and the flood risk.

To create an environmentally

driven, self-sufficient community that makes use of

natural resources of water, light and heat, and is as efficient as possible in terms of energy consumption and waste.

To create a more cohesive

community (Local Plan Policy HC 1: Active and Healthy Communities).2

To allow easy access around

the island for cars and

caravans, but without disrupting the natural landscape.

To provide the setting for a

new Caravan Club

Headquarters

The aims of the Caravan Club

Headquarters:

To provide a central building

for the Caravan Club that acts as a symbol and showcase of the Club itself,

raising its public profile.

To provide public, informal

spaces for community interaction.

To publicise and showcase

the caravan and the life of the people on the island.

To house administrative

functions and therefore increase revenue for the club, attracting new

members and generating production material such as the magazine and the television channel.

To use the concept of a

caravan for the performance and construction of the building.

To be as collaborative as

possible through the design

process, taking into consideration the opinions and requirements of the individual members as well as the club as a whole.

1 Castlepoint Borough Council Local Plan (2014) pg. 193

2 Ibid. Pg. 138


PRECEDENT

Black Rock City, Nevada, USA.

An example of a temporary

settlements is Black Rock City which

’pops-up’ for the Burning Man

Festival annually. It has installed

infrastructure, including roads,

allocated use areas, and services for

the temporary residents, all arranged

around the central focus of the

Burning Man stage.

Main Image: Conceptual plan of Town Centre. Architects Own for Competition.

Precedent Images: (http://www.burningman.com/preparation/maps/#.UynBuPl_suc)


Even as a temporary settlement,

Canvey Common will need a fully

functioning centre at Thorney Bay

to provide the facilities for the

caravan settlement, as well as

creating spaces for public

interaction and caravan celebration.

The main services to consider are

water, power and waste disposal,

as well as roads and parking.

Thorney Bay Town Centre will

comprise two main buildings around

a public square. The first, the

Caravan Club HQ will provide

spaces for social interaction and

learning about and celebrating

caravans. The second will be a

services building, also known as the

Post-Office, which will provide most

of the necessary amenities as well

as forming a public frontage to the

beach. The public square is formed

between these two buildings and

spills out into a public plaza along

the sea wall. The remaining corner

of this Town Centre includes

Temporary Accommodation for

caravanners.

FACILITIES

Legally a caravan park should provide details of the arrangements for:1

Water supply

Communal toilet and shower

facilities

Communal laundry and washing

up facilities

Sewage disposal

Waste water disposal

Refuse storage and disposal

Site lighting

Fire precautions

In Thorney Bay the Post-Office will also have facilities for toilets, showers, laundry and washing up to

service the Temporary

Accommodation, but also to be available for the rest of Canvey Island, being the main water supply.

The outdoor cinema and caravan exhibition / parking area, will have opportunities for people to ‘plug-in’

for electricity. There will also be points for this along the main roads.

Waste disposal and storage will also be provided at the rear of the post-office building. However as much as possible waste will be

recycled with composting and graywater harvesting.


Centred around the Public Square, Thorney Bay Town Centre is a vibrant

and fluctuating amalgamation of people and caravans.

A Vibrant Town Centre

Power supply

Water supply

Waste disposal

1 Caravan Site Application Form , Section 6. (2014). https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-a-licence/

caravan-and-camping-site-licence/castle-point/apply-1


Post-Office

—services building

Caravan Club Headquarters

—social and cultural centre


The main roads to the site are

Thorney Bay Road from the

mainland and Main Road from

Deadman’s Point to the West.

These two roads are ‘Local

Distributor Roads’ allowing two way

traffic, but also having safe

footpaths either side.

There will be an access road to the

parking area / caravan exhibition to

the rear of the Caravan Club HQ

and to the rear of the post office.

The other roads are dirt roads

providing access to the informal

settlements around the island.

There are also various footpaths

providing scenic routes, for example

the Promenade along the eastern

coastline, and the Western

Walkway to Hole Haven.

The external areas of the caravan

club comprise the public square at

the front and the informal caravan

exhibition at the rear. This also

doubles as an outdoor cinema.

The new Town Centre connects to the surrounding

landscape harmoniously and functionally.

Access and Connection




View of TV Studio from Exhibition Space. Architects Own.


The Caravan Club A community for over 100 years, the Caravan Club has new significance

in the post-scarcity age, facilitating and uniting the transient community.

The Caravan Club was founded in

1907 by ten men and one woman. It’s aims were:

"to bring together those interested in van life as a pastime…to improve and supply suitable vans and other appliances….to develop the

pastime by collecting, publishing and supplying to members, books and periodicals and lists of camp sites etc… to arrange camping grounds".1

Today it is a large organisation that

owns and runs over 3,000 holiday sites, with over one million members, and an annual turnover of over £100 million.

The overall aim of the club is still to promote and connect those

interested in caravanning. Although a commercial organisation, the

Caravan Club is also a members

club, and so member involvement is extremely important, underlined by the camaraderie of caravanners as a tradition, and their expertise about caravans and the lifestyle.

Canvey Common, as a caravanners

haven, is a regional centre for the Caravan Club. The Town Centre at Thorney Bay will be dominated by the Caravan Club Headquarters, a mixed-use public building that showcases and celebrates the

Caravan way of life, as well as providing offices, studios and meeting rooms for the Club itself.

1 http://www.caravanclub.co.uk/membership/about-us/who-we-are/the-history-of-the-club

BUILDING DELIVERY | CLIENT


“The overall aim of the club is still to promote and connect those interested in caravanning...”

April 2050 The Caravan Club MagazineMain Image (above): Conceptual Collage of Thorney Bay. Architects Own for Competition.

Main Image (left): Photograph of Caravanners. Google Images.


The initial requirements of the

building given by the client were:

Exhibition Space

TV Studio / Workshop

Offices for magazine

production team, television

team, and caravan club

management and

administration

Function space

Boardroom

Public space

Cinema / Lecture theatre

At an early stage of the design, four

different spaces were identified as

most significant. As previously

mentioned the television studio /

workshop was established as the

heart of the building with visual and

physical links to the rest of the

building.

The exhibition space was conceived

as a simple structure to showcase

hanging caravan parts, visible from

the public square and on entry.

The third space considered was the

ground floor. There was a sense

that all other functions should be

elevated to allow the ground floor

as a continuous extension of the

public square, encouraging access

and informal meeting through it.

Finally, the Club Boardroom at the

top of the building, representing the

grandeur and eccentricity of the

Club.

It was also felt that the building

should help define the public

square, forming a focal point on one

side of it.

Programme & Organisation

An ‘elevated workshop’ and an extension of the public square, the CCHQ

unites the community through celebration of the caravan.

BUILDING DELIVERY | THE PROGRAMME

April 2050 The Caravan Club Magazine 35 Images: Initial massing and programmatic diagrams. Architects Own.


BUILDING DELIVERY | THE CLIENT

The Caravan Club is a privately

funded organisation that generates

income from its various products, as

well as from rich ambassadors.

These include the magazine, the

television studio and some

merchandise. It also generates

income through advertising.

However, the main source of

income is membership. Members

pay a yearly membership fee that

gives them access to Caravan Club

Sites, caravan insurance, access to

‘Club Together’ the online

community, technical help and

advice, the monthly caravan club

magazine, regional centre events

and gatherings, and monthly special

offers.

The Caravan Club has also enjoyed

a rise in wealth since the 2020s

when caravanning became

increasingly specialist as a pastime.

The Caravan Club is the only real

caravanning body remaining in

2050, and for this reason has been

able to buy out struggling Caravan

Manufacturers, and struggling

caravan sites, including Canvey

Island, across the country. With the

increasing popularity of

Caravanning as a sustainable and

functional way of life as well as just

a leisure activity, the Caravan Club

is now an important resource that is

in demand.

The new CCHQ at Canvey Island

will be a significant investment for

the Club as a whole as well as for

the Anglia Regional Centre. Canvey

Island is in need of the new Town

Centre to provide relevant services

and infrastructure, but the CCHQ

itself will offer more than this. It will

generate income for the Club with

the new Television Channel and

documentaries that can be filmed

there, and produce income from the

café and hire of the function space.

Moreover the building will increase

the profile of the Club, a global

symbol of Caravanning.

As a large and moneyed commercial organisation, the new Caravan

Club Headquarters will be an investment for the future.

Funding & Revenue

April 2050 The Caravan Club Magazine 37 Main Image (left): Caravan Club Design Awards (2013). Caravan Club Archives

Image (top): Caravan Club Website (2012). http://www.caravanclub.co.uk/

The past Patron of the Caravan Club, Prince Philip, and his wife HRH The Queen had an active role within the Caravanning Community, pictured above visiting Bailey Caravans in 2012.

CLUB REVENUE

The Club generates income

from the television channel

and the magazine, as well as

membership, advertising and

merchandise.

The new CCHQ will provide

facilities to increase these

opportunities.


BUILDING DELIVERY | THE CLIENT

The Caravan Club is a member’s

club that has grown since its formation in 1907. It has a carefully administrated organisation, fronted by Chairman Grenville Chamberlain, and an Executive Committee that is elected by

members at the Annual Member’s Meetings. The Club’s Patron is Queen Consort Catherine, who took over from her Grandfather-In-Law Prince Philip. The club has other financial backing by moneyed

investors.

The set-up of the club is through regional centres and sub-committees that deal with finance and management, sites, events and marketing, technical support and

membership. There is also a strong sense of community within the club, underlined by the ‘Club Together’, an online community with member forums and online socialising.

There are 10 Regional Centres

throughout the UK. Canvey Island falls into the Anglia Region, which also includes Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. The Regional Councils are set up to provide representation for the Caravan Club

at a Local level. The Regional Council is made up of extremely knowledgeable members and usually matters or questions raised can be resolved at a regional level. This means that every member of

the Club can use a Regional Council to access all levels of the Club management structure.

The Hierarchy of the Club is utilised in the organisation of the client group for this project. Due to the

importance of the new building there will need to be representation from the Governance and Executive Committee. There will also need to be local representatives from the

Regional Centre, as well as input

from the various sub-committees, especially the magazine and television production committee. It was also felt that the wider Caravan Club Community should be involved, and most importantly the

local caravanners of Canvey Common.

The Club’s hierarchical organisation allows effective and well-informed

management but also promotes member involvement.

Club Together

1 http://www.caravanclub.co.uk/membership/about-us/how-we-are-run/committees/executive-

committee/grenville-chamberlain


CHAIRMAN

“Caravanning has become a way of

life for The Chamberlain family and

we travel the length and breadth of

Great Britain and Ireland typically

towing around 10,000 miles each

year. As our children have now

grown up, we try to take our four,

soon to be five, grand-children

away with us 3 or 4 times each

year. We have on one occasion

taken all four together at ages 6,7,8

and 9 but by the end of the

weekend, Liz and I needed a

holiday to recover.”1

- Grenville Chamberlain, Chairman

GOVERNANCE / EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE /

FINANCERS

MEMBER ELECTED STEERING GROUP

REGIONAL AND SUB-COMMITTEE

REPRESENTATIVES

CANVEY

COMMONERS

TV

PRODUCTION TEAM

MAGAZINE

PRODUCTION

TEAM

SITE MANAGEMENT

MARKETING

EVENTS

TECHNICAL

FINANCE

MEMBERSHIP

ANGLIA

REGIONAL

CENTRE

Main Image: Caravan Club South Essex Centre Carnival (http://www.secc-online.org.uk


BUILDING DELIVERY | PRE-CONTRACT

The design of the Caravan Club

Headquarters and surrounding

Masterplan for the New Thorney

Bay Town Centre was generated by

way of a two-stage architectural

competition. The client set out an

initial brief outlining the client aims

and aspirations and the programme

and required accommodation within

the project, as well as identifying

the needs and lifestyle already

present on Canvey Common.

Architectural Competitions have

historically spurred creativity,

pushing design, and often sparking

proposals that the client would

never have conceived otherwise. In

this case the Competition was

appropriate because although the

Club had clear ideas about aims for

the project, they had no clear idea

of how the proposal would look.

Also the competition allowed

member involvement, setting up the

importance of the Steering Group

prior to the appointment of an

architect.

However, competitions can also be

high risk for the architects

themselves. Work that goes into

competition is usually unpaid and

even upon winning the competition

there is no guarantee that the

design will be built. There is no

contractual arrangement for

As a special part of the Caravan Design Awards 2050, the design for the

Caravan Club Headquarters was won at competition.

Competition & Appointment


architects at competition stage. Some

architects feel that the unpaid aspect

devalues the profession as well as

being a drain on the individual practice

resources. There is also a sense that

due to the vast number of entries if

your design does not win it will do little

to raise the profile of the practice.

In this case, however, the benefits of

competition for the client as well as

the opportunity for architects to

exercise their creativity within this

brief, makes it a viable method of

appointment for the project.

After successfully being shortlisted, 5

architects were given the opportunity

to develop their design with input from

the client, creating 5 individual

designs for the client to choose from.

At this stage the work was paid for by

the client.

The winning design was successful

due to the architect’s understanding of

the client brief but also the context of

the project. The design aimed to

create a building that responded to

and celebrated the context of

caravanning and its strong

community, using the analogy of a

caravan as inspiration throughout the

design.

The winning design was also the

strongest in its creation of a social and

functional Town Centre that extended

the language of clusters of caravans,

and the fluctuating community.

DESIGN AWARDS 2050 COMPETITION

The Caravan Design Awards are an annual competition for caravans where manufacturers are invited to submit vehicles for evaluation. In the year 2050,

the event had a special category for the design of the Caravan Club Headquarters and masterplan for new Town Centre at Thorney Bay, Canvey Common.

The event saw a huge number of entries responding to the initial brief by the Club, resulting in a shortlist of 5 designs This shortlist was decided by the Member Elected Steering Group and overseen by the Executive Committee of

the Caravan Club.

Main Image (left): Conceptual collage for Competition. Winning Design.

Main Image (above): Plan of New Town Centre. Winning Design.

2050


BUILDING DELIVERY | PRE-CONTRACT

The procurement route was

carefully considered in order to

deliver the building on time, cost

effectively and with a good quality

construction. This project had two

very different aspirations which

needed to be considered. Firstly,

the building was conceived as a

product for the people. The strong

sense of community within Canvey

Common and the communal nature

of the Club as a whole meant that it

was important to involve the

members in the design but also

possibly the construction of the

building. However, it is also

important to point out that the

building is a symbol of the grandeur

of the Club itself, and should be a

carefully designed, beautiful piece

of architecture. Caravans, although

sometimes customized by their

owners, are also carefully designed

objects. The Club also does not

have a particularly restrained

budget and so some elements of

the design can have a high

specification.

OPTION 1: MANAGEMENT

PROCUREMENT

The first procurement route that

was considered was for a

Management Procurement where a

Management Contractor defines the

packages of work and manages

them through separate contracts to

design team consultants and sub-

contractors. The initial design by the

Architect could be bought in

principle by the Client and then

passed on to separate Contractors

to build, much like in a Design and

Build Contract. This method was

initially considered because it

allows the design to develop and

change through the course of the

construction. Different parts of the

building can be designed and built

at different stages using architects

as consultants along the way. This

allows the possibility for user

involvement whether through the

design of individual spaces or user-

led construction. An example of this

could be the St Louis City Museum

which has developed and grown

over the years. In this example the

client was the management

contractor, and, as a sculptor by

trade, had enough experience to be

able to keep control of the final

build.

The benefits of this procurement

method are flexibility and user-

involvement, as well as an almost

immediate start to the build work.

The architect also has no real risk

as they just produce separate

packages of work along the way.

The client absorbs all the risk. The

discontinuity means the overall

building would most likely lose

some of its initial design quality, and

the cost could spiral out of control

as it is never fixed throughout the

contract. There are also legal

issues with this procurement

because planning permission would

be difficult to fully define at the

onset, and there would be

significant health and safety,

insurance and administration

issues. Overridingly this ad-hoc

method of procurement would not

produce the grand, refined Caravan

Club Headquarters desired. Also

there are a number of specially

designed spaces within the design

that the client would not have

experience in either designing or

building.

OPTION 2: TRADITIONAL

PROCUREMENT

Therefore the preferred

procurement was for a Traditional

Procurement whereby the

appointed Architect heads the

Design Team and coordinates the

construction contract on behalf of

the Client. The Architect also

appoints their own consultants and

signs off on all drawings, producing

a full package of information before

Tender. This form of Procurement is

most risky for the Architect as they

take responsibility and liability for

any delays or incomplete

information. However with the

Architect in control of the Design

and overseeing the construction

there will be a high quality build.

A degree of flexibility should

however be built into the project

where possible. The design sets out

a framework of key spaces and

supporting structure that will need

to be specially designed and built,

but there are spaces that could be

sub-contracted out or could develop

later in the construction. For

example interior fit-out, areas of

cladding, or the design of office

spaces are all areas that can grow

within the simple framework of the

design.

It therefore falls to the Architect to

work collaboratively with the Client

Groups, both Steering Group or

User Groups, to design a building

that stays true to the architectural

vision but also works for the people

that will populate it. They will also

need to ensure that the consultants

share this ideal. Design and

Construction meetings will therefore

be a key part of the process.

The contractual organisation aims to be as co-operative as possible

whilst also providing a beautifully designed and built object.

Procurement & Contract


MAIN

CONTRACTOR


DESIGN

TEAM

Structural Engineer

Services Engineer

Environmental

Consultant

Lighting Design

ARCHITECT Contract

Administrator

USER

GROUPS

SUB-

CONTRACTORS

& SPECIALISTS

(e.g. Steel, TV Studio

fit-out, Glass curtain-

wall etc.)

CONSULTANTS

Planning Consultant

Quantity Surveyor

GOVERNANCE / EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

CO

NT

RA

CT

ARCHITECTS MANAGEMENT

CONTRACTOR Contract

Administrator

SPECIALIST

CONTRACTOR

e.g. Steelwork


DESIGNERS

Structural Engineer

Services Engineer

Environmental

Consultant

Lighting Design

USER

GROUPS

CONSULTANTS

Planning Consultant

Quantity Surveyor

GOVERNANCE / EXECUTIVE

COMMITTEE

SU

B-C

ON

TR

AC

TS

SPECIALIST

CONTRACTOR

e.g. TV Studio fit-

PA

CK

AG

ES

OF

WO

RK

USER

GROUPS

USER

GROUPS

INITIAL

ARCHITECT

OPTION 1: MANAGEMENT PROCUREMENT

OPTION 2: TRADITIONAL PROCUREMENT

Image (above): St Louis City Museum. Google Images.

Image (below): Beautifully crafted Romany Caravan. Google Images.


BUILDING DELIVERY | POST-CONTRACT

REGULATIONS AND PUBLIC BODIES

After the Appointment of the

Architect and the Contract has been

agreed, there are certain

permissions and regulations that

must be met. The Caravan Club

began discussions with the local

planning authority early in the

project, appointing a Planning

Consultant to advise. The relevant

planning constraints and policies in

the area were set out in the urban

context section as:

National Planning Policy –

Supporting a Prosperous

Rural Economy

Planning Policy for Traveller

Sites – Economically, Socially

and Environmentally

Sustainable Site

Local Planning Policy –

Canvey Town Centre

Regeneration

Local Planning Policy –

Connection and Enhancement

of Canvey Marshes Historic

Natural Landscape

Local Planning Policy – Active

and Healthy Communities

Consent to Construct works

on Common Land – Section

38 Commons Act 2006

The Client also consulted various

local and national bodies for input

about the new development – The

Highways Agency, CABE,

BREEAM, the National Trust, Open

Space Society and Natural

England. This was to ensure a

development that was not

detrimental to the existing

wilderness but that also connected

to the mainland road system.

The development at Canvey

Common was fully supported by

Castlepoint Borough Council as

being a sensitive but functional new

Town Centre essential to the future

of Canvey Common. In principle the

CCHQ was also approved, creating

a centre for community education

and interaction that is fully

accessible by all. The visual impact

of the building was not a

contentious issue as there are

currently no other buildings on the

Common. However as the proposal

is on registered Common Land, the

design had to prove to be for the

‘management, improvement or

protection (or to the negligible

detriment) of the common or

otherwise consistent with its

traditional uses’1, and therefore

would be allowed under section 38

of the Commons Act. A Public

Consultation was also organized by

the Caravan Club to ensure

community approval of the design in

principle. This again was not so

much of an issue because club

members had already been

involved in the design process.

Planning Policy did however stress

the need for a fully serviced Town

Centre, installing water, waste

collection and electricity for the

inhabitants as well as sufficient

parking and compliant road

systems. The utilities for the site

would be off-grid and so no

consultation with public utility

bodies was required, however an

Environmental Consultant was

brought on at an early stage to

oversee this aspect of the project to

ensure a sustainable environmental

system on the site.

PHASING

To simplify the building process the

project was rigorously phased,

considering construction of the

Town Centre as well as the CCHQ

itself. This also allowed for careful

consideration of each element of

the design proposal and the areas

that are high specification, off the

shelf, or user-led. See Phasing

Diagram Opposite.

CONSTRUCTION

The Construction process will begin

with the preparation of the Common

as a whole, installing the

infrastructure and then clearing the

Town Centre site at Thorney Bay.

The 3rd Stage will therefore

comprise the construction of the

Post-Office and the Caravan

Headquarters. As previously

described the CCHQ will be

constructed to a high specification

and only use volunteer labour

sporadically through the project.

The Post-Office however will be

mostly user built as it has been

decided to be much simpler in

construction. Specialist construction

will only be needed at the beginning

for the foundations.

There will need to be organized

administration of tasks on site and a

high level of Health and Safety and

CDM throughout the build. It will be

the Contractors responsibility to

ensure this.

A well-organised and well-managed, multi-faceted project, that is safe

and delivered on budget and on time.

Regulations, & Stages of Work

1 Common Land Guidance Sheet, The Planning Inspectorate. http://

www.planningportal.gov.uk/planning/countryside/commonland/guidance


View of Exhibition Space. Architects Own.


The structural strategy incorporates the main building and 2 secondary

structures to create a simple yet flexible structure.

The structure is made up of a heavy

5-storey main structure that

supports itself and the 2 secondary

structures of the Exhibition Space

and Boardroom on top. All 3

structures are made up of steel

frames, with the main building and

the Exhibition Space using a simple

5 x 5m grid. This means that the

steels sections can be off-the-shelf

elements, reducing cost. These

structures are also relatively simple

allowing fast and easy construction

of a significant part of the building.

The floors will include secondary

beams to reduce spans to 2.5m

allowing the use of steel decks and

poured concrete to create the floor.

Again, this is a simple and relatively

cheap construction method. The

main structure will use insulated

panels to allow the steel structure to

be exposed creating an industrial

aesthetic. Suspended ceilings will

however be used in some cases to

allow services to be hidden.

The conceptual model of a caravan

was also considered for the

structural strategy of the building.

Caravans are generally timber or

aluminium frames, which are then

clad with plywood, light-weight

plastic, or metals. Caravans are

also streamlined objects

characterised by curvilinear forms

and chamfered edges. This was an

important quality to transfer to the

detailing of the building.

Structural Strategy

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION | STRUCTURE


STRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT



Inspired by the module and structure of the caravan, the main structure

of the CCHQ utilises a steel frame.

The main structure of the proposed

CCHQ was initially devised to be a

substantial industrial steel frame,

capable of supporting the heavy

loads of caravans, as well as

creating large open and high

spaces within it. This was also

designed to be reminiscent of

caravan factories and workshops,

the conceptual heart of the building.

The steel structure also meant it

was possible to construct a multi-

level building, enabling the physical

presence of a tall building desired

by the client on site.

The steel frame was set up on a

grid of 5m spans. This was modeled

on the module of the caravan pitch,

which is designed at 5m x 10m,

therefore both conceptually and

physically allowing a caravan to

appropriate any space within the

building. The 5m grid can also

accommodate 10 and 15m spans in

certain areas of the building,

creating large voids and open

rooms. The floors are 5m apart

which further underlines the

module, allowing a caravan to fit on

every floor.

The steel frame gives uniformity to

the building but allows opportunities

for breaking out or interruption

within it. This enabled the creation

of the TV studio/workshop, a 15m

open cube in the centre of the main

structure. The cladding of various

spaces can also move away from

the repetitive grid, creating interest

on the facades and unique spaces

on the interior.

The main 5 storey structure

accommodates the offices, TV

studio/workshop and toilets with the

caravan lift at one side and a

services/circulation core at the

other. The 5th floor of the structure

forms a truss that runs along the top

of the workshop, supporting it and

tying together the parts of the

structure at either side. This truss

accommodates an open function

space with terraces to the south.

The main support is the truss, the

caravan lift at one edge and the

solid core at the other. There is

Main Structure


extensive bracing of these elements

to create stability. The studio/

workshop can then be a void in the

centre, which can be hung off the

truss and supported on columns

underneath. Offices cantilever into

this void at one side and the

caravan lift allows accessibility into

it from the other. The steel columns

are 400 x 400mm I sections, which

connect via horizontal 300 x 400mm

steal I beams. The beams of the

truss are 600 x 300mm I beams,

which dispel the need for columns

within the space.

The main structure sits on a

basement that accommodates the

cinema/lecture theatre. To allow the

cinema to be an open space

uninterrupted by columns carrying

the load from above, the ground

floor of the building needs to be a

1m thick concrete slab. The

basement then utilizes 10m deep

secant piling. This secant piling, as

well as supporting the building

above, also forms a continuous

watertight wall, crucial in an area

like Canvey Common with a high

water table.

PRECEDENT .

Media TIC, Cloud 9, Barcelona

This 44m x 44m x 37.82m high cube uses a steel

frame, which won last year’s European Award for Steel Structures, that works principally in tension rather than compression, with floors suspended from the double-storey-height truss at the top of the building. This produces a 36 by 40 metre column-free interior for the public ground floor.

The frame is expressed on the facades providing a skeleton for the cladding to respond to or interrupt.

1 Steel Structural Beams in truss (600x300mm)

2 Steel Structural columns (400x300mm)

3 Steel Beams supporting floors (300x300mm)

4 Secondary steel structure in studio void

5 Concrete floor slab (1m thick)

6 Concrete Basement

1

2

3

4

5

6

Main Images: Caravan structure. Google Images.

Precedent Images: MediaTIC by Ruiz Geli (http://www.ruiz-geli.com/)



Two secondary structures create focal spaces that cantilever off the

main building, the Exhibition Entry Space and the Boardroom.

Supported off the main structure are

two secondary structures – the Ex-

hibition Space at the front and the

Boardroom at the top. The Exhibi-

tion space is an extension of the

main structure, following the same 5

x 5m grid, but with a more transpar-

ent and light aesthetic. The Board-

room is different, imagined as a

caravan on top of the building.

The Exhibition space is a 4 storey

open space, in which parts of cara-

vans can be displayed and sus-

pended. The structure is a frame of

400 x 400mm steel I section col-

umns and 300 x 400mm steel I

beams, connecting with the main

structure. The columns are re-

moved at the corners, making the

frame less focal. A glass curtain

wall then envelopes the outside of

the structure on the 1st to 3rd floors,

appearing as a suspended glass

cube at the front of the building. The

space will have a suspended ceiling

that runs back into the studio void in

the main structure, creating a con-

nection with it, making it seem like a

cantilevered extension of this cen-

tral space. A glass curtain wall will

separate the two spaces.

At ground floor the exhibition space

will run through into the rest of the

building, an extension of the Public

Square. The main entrance will also

be through the Exhibition Space,

drawing people into the building and

drawing their eye up into the void

and through into the workshop/

studio space, the heart of the build-

ing.

The Exhibition Space will have pile

foundations underneath each of the

structural columns, and will only

need a standard 300mm concrete

floor slab at ground floor level. The

structure has no separate floors

within it and so will not be carrying

too much load, but the glass will

need to be reinforced to withstand

wind.

The Boardroom uses a steel frame

that is much more bespoke, and

with smaller spans and columns to

create the curved shape. The

beams support the cantilever which

is anchored by the structure in the

truss below. The Boardroom is be-

spoke, and therefore an expensive

part of the design, but this space

certainly conveys the eccentricity

and grandeur of the Caravan Club

itself.

Secondary Structures


PRECEDENTS .

Crystal Unit III, Katsu Fumikubota, Hiroshima.

The curtain wall of glazing over the steel frame

structure creates a light and transparent skin to the building, displaying outside and inside simultaneously. The glass also extends past the frame and with the raised floor and suspended ceiling, the overall aesthetic is that of a suspended glass box.

Fallen Star, Do Ho Suh, San Diego.

This ‘house’ appears to have crashed into the 7th floor of the Jacob’s Hall at the University of San Diego. It is a beautifully crafted sculpture, constructed with a self supporting steel frame structure that connects to the concrete structure of

the existing building. The alien object is cantilevered off the building.

1 2

3

4

5

1 Steel truss as main support

2 Supporting steel columns in main structure

3 Secondary steel frame

4 Suspended ceiling

5 Ground floor slab

1 Steel truss as main support

2 Supporting steel columns in main structure

3 Secondary steel frame with steel bracing

1 2 3

Main Image: Render of Exhibition Space. Architects Own.

Precedent Images: Google Images


BUILDING CONSTRUCTION | MATERIALITY

The CCHQ uses the language of caravan materiality, reconfigured

and refined to showcase the design beauty and variety of the

caravan.

Materiality Strategy



Caravans are made from a variety

of materials and components,

usually chosen for functionality and

cost-effectiveness, for example

corrugated metal, shaped

aluminium or plywood. However,

sometimes the chosen materiality is

an example of the creativity and

design quality of caravanners, and

expresses the eccentricity of living

in small spaces. The CCHQ aims to

use this concept, balancing

functional building materials with

cosy or eccentric caravan interiors.

The design has 4 distinctive types

of space created within the overall

structure. These include:

1. The Exhibition Entry Space

2. The Public Areas including the

function space, ground floor,

and circulation spaces.

3. The Private Offices and

Boardroom.

4. The TV Studio / Workshop in

the heart of the building.

These spaces have different

requirements and performances

which impact on the style of interior

materiality, but also the choice of

exterior materials. It was felt

important to express the different

types of space on the facade,

underlining the concept of the

building as a showcase of the

community.

The 4 different spaces are shown in

detail in the following spaces, but

the basic concept was for a

transparent exhibition space, open,

warehouse-like public areas,

enclosed, curvilinear and homely

caravan-like office and boardroom,

and a functional but visually

permeable TV studio.

Main Image: Conceptual Collage of caravan materiality

Precedent Images: Caravans, various. Google Images.



A transparent glass box at the front of the building is created by a

glazed curtain wall to showcase caravan parts and the studio

within.

The Exhibition Space steel frame

structure is clad with a glazed

curtain wall system over the top

15m with corrugated metal forming

a plinth below.

The glazed curtain wall is

constructed outside the steel frame,

with a 200mm gap between the two.

The curtain wall is made up of

2480mm square double glazed,

coated, low-emissivity glass panels,

for example Pilkington K Glass™,

with a neutral colour. This is framed

using 60mm aluminium transoms

and mullions fixed back to the main

structure, to create a simple gridded

effect over the facade. At the

bottom there is a further 1140mm

panel that extends over the

corrugated metal below (see detail).

The use of low-emmisivity glass will

allow:

Significantly improved thermal

insulation compared to

conventional double glazing;

Substantially reduced

condensation;

High light transmission, reducing

the need for lighting the building;

Neutral colour in transmission

and reflection;

Highly durable on-line coated

glass easy to handle and

process, providing low cost

solution with high visual impact1

The corrugated metal panels are

set inside of the steel structural

frame, exaggerating the

appearance of the glazed overhang.

The panels will be pre-fabricated,

insulated panels with a galvanised,

corrugated steel finish. These will

be the same specification as shown

on pg. 60-61.

The overhang also allows the

incorporation of air vents around the

perimeter of the glazed space,

allowing natural ventilation through

the space.

Exhibition Space

1 Pilkington K-Glass Literature. 2012.


Detail of junction between glazing panels

and corrugated metal cladding. 1:20.

Axonometric view of glazing

panel system. NTS.

1

3

6

4

5

5

7

8

2

1 Glazing panels. Neutral coloured, coated, low-

emissivity double glazed panel.

2 Aluminium transoms and mullions

3 Aluminium transom connected to Steel box section

4 Aluminium capping

5 Air vents in metal panels

6 Steel frame

7 Pre-fabricated, insulated corrugated metal panel

with galvanised steel finish to exterior and interior.

8 Air vent behind glazing

9 Aluminium capping

9



Separated by a glazed curtain wall and overlooked by offices and

viewing platforms, the TV studio represents the heart of the building.

The TV studio inhabits the void

created in the centre of the main

structure, appearing as an

extension of the ‘glass box’

Exhibition Space.

It is separated from the Exhibition

space by a glazed curtain wall that

is set back inside the main

structure, and beneath the

suspended ceiling that runs through

from the Exhibition Space. This

allows the studio to be visible from

the entrance, and outside. The

glazed panels are made up of

double glazed acoustic glass in a

grid framed with aluminium

transoms and mullions. This mimics

the configuration of the Exhibition

Space glazing.

The studio is a functional space that

can be transformed by lighting and

the creation of different sets, in

order to film caravans and the like

for the Caravan Club TV channel

and mini films. Therefore the interior

materiality is dominated by the steel

structural frame, which can also

support the lighting rig and

cameras.

The external facade to the studio

constitutes the outdoor cinema

screen. It will be made from, and

finished with concrete and fixed

back to the main frame. This will

allow a smooth, reflective surface to

project on to.

TV Studio / Workshop


1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Precedent Images: Sky Studios, O2 Centre Greenwich. Architects Own.

PRECEDENT

Sky Studio, O2 Centre, North Greenwich.

A promotion centre for Sky TV, this structure inside

the O2 centre is an example of a viewable studio space, where the glazed curtain walls allow visibility without compromising acoustics.

Detail Axonometric of glazed curtain wall to

TV studio. 1:50.

1 Steel deck and concrete floor

construction to Function room floor

above

2 Steel I-Beams for truss

3 Suspended ceiling: Steel I-beam frame,

insulated panels and ceiling finish.

4 Void for services and ventilation

5 Aluminium capping

6 2400 x 2400mm acoustic double glazed

panels, and acoustic smart glass

panels.

7 Aluminium mullions and transoms



Characterised by the exposed steel frame, the public areas are open,

industrial spaces, clad in corrugated metal and glazed panels.

Public Areas & Function Room

The public ground floor, the

circulation spaces and the function

room on the fourth floor all follow a

similar language of an industrial

warehouse. The steel frame is

exposed on the interior of the

building, expressing the 5x5m grid

utilised throughout the building.

These steel elements will be

galvanised steel that is then painted

with a fire-resistant finish.

Part of the ground floor will have a

suspended ceiling, below the TV

studio, but the other side will have

exposed beams on the ceiling.

Therefore the connections between

steel columns and beams will need

to be carefully considered.

The external fabric of these areas

will be a pre-fabricated insulated

corrugated metal cladding system,

matching the ground floor of the

exhibition space. However in these

areas the cladding will be used

outside of the steel frame, with

doors and windows punctured

within it to allow access to terraces

to the function room. This is

reminiscent of the metal clad static

caravans that once dominated

Canvey Island.

The metal cladding system will

provide well-insulated spaces,

whilst maintaining the caravan

aesthetic of galvanised steel

corrugated panels on both interior

and exterior.

In some areas glazing panels will

be used between the steel frame. In

this case the 5x5m space is split

into 9 equal square double glazed

panels with some openable

elements and vents. This allows

light, well ventilated public spaces.

Section through

corrugated metal panel.

NTS.

Detail above from Cladco Profiles (http://www.cladco.co.uk/). Trissomet 333 Insulated Panels.


1

1

2

3

3

4

4

3

5

5

6

6

7

7

8

8

9

Detail Axonometrics of Terraces to either side of

Function Room. 1:50

1 Steel I-beams 600 x 400mm

2 Steel box section

3 Aluminium flashing

4 Corrugated galvanised steel finish, insulated

cladding panels.

5 Steel door frame

6 Floor finish

7 Steel deck with poured concrete floor

8 Insulated ceiling panel

9 Openable window with

aluminium frame



The open plan industrial spaces of the main building are interrupted

by smaller individual spaces reminiscent of the interior of a caravan.

The office spaces on the first,

second and third floors take up two

bays of the structural grid each.

This gives them a basic geometry

reminiscent of a rectangular

caravan.

The interior of the offices is made

more human in scale with a lower

ceiling height achieved through a

suspended ceiling. The steel frame

is covered on the interior with this

plywood curved ceiling that runs

into the wall on the eastern wall. On

the northern facade the office space

pushes out of the grid, creating

curvilinear shapes on the exterior of

the building. This also allows small

balconies between the ’stack of

caravans’.

The curvilinear facade utilises a pre

-fabricated, shaped and insulated

cladding system that is fixed back

to the steel frame, and supported

with a secondary frame of steel box

sections.

The inside of this wall is finished

with plasterboard and painted white.

The exterior of the facade panels

are finished with white painted

aluminium. The panels also have

efficient insulating qualities to

create comfortable spaces within.

Windows and doors punctuate the

cladding with silver aluminium

frames and cappings to create

contrast with the cladding panels.

Offices & Boardroom


1 2

3

4

5 6

7 8

9

10

11

12

13

Detail Axonometric showing the internal and external

fabric of the office spaces, steel frame, and window detail

beneath. 1:100.

1 Steel I-Beam 600 x 400

2 Steel columns 400 x 400

3 Steel C section

4 Steel deck with poured concrete floor

5 Suspended ceiling:

Timber batons, plywood cladding

6 Steel I-Beam 400 300

7 Steel box sections

8 Interior wall finish

9 Openable aluminium framed windows

10 White painted aluminium finish

prefabricated, shaped and

insulated cladding system

11 Steel framed window panel

12 Air vent

13 Double glazed panel



View of Function Room. Architects Own.


The CCHQ is a progression of interconnected spaces that draw

people through the building and around the central, theatre-like TV

studio.

Overall Strategy

The overall strategy for the

performance of the CCHQ was

for a comfortable but low energy

building. Therefore spaces

needed to be planned to utilize

natural qualities such as light,

ventilation and heating for

passive design.

This strategy also extended into

the planning of the spaces in

relation to each other. It was

essential to produce a layout that

would allow efficient flows of

energy, ventilation and light

throughout the building, whilst

also allowing privacy and

separation.

However similar to the luxuries of

a caravan in the wilderness, the

building is also an extroverted

consumer of energy in the

inclusion of a TV studio, cinema

screens and feature lighting.

The performance stategy of the

building was to maintain this idea

of luxury and comfort whilst fitting

into a sustainable, off-grid

environmental system.


Luxuries of a caravan in the wilderness.

BUILDING PERFORMANCE | PERFORMANCE

April 2050 The Caravan Club Magazine 67 April 2050 The Caravan Club MagazineMain Image: Collage showing activity and flow of spaces.

Image (left): ‘Caravan Dreaming’. Workshop by Art Victoria (2011).


SELF-SUFFICIENCY

The whole community needs to be

self sufficient, producing its own

energy in order to run the building,

but also operating off grid in terms

of waste disposal and water

sourcing .

Energy produced through use of

Tidal Power, Piezoelectric roads

and Bio-digestor.

Rainwater stored and utilised on

site, along with groundwater

sourcing.

Water and energy reuse.

LOW ENERGY / PASSIVE DESIGN

In order to make this more possible

the building must be energy efficient

and be designed in harmony with its

natural environment for heating,

cooling and lighting.

South Facade

Minimal glazing

TV studio and toilets on south

side.

Sun terrace at fourth floor allows

shading to function room behind.

North and East Facing Facades

Extensive glazing for natural

lighting and ventilation.

Shading from main building

reduces overheating.

Caravan-like openable windows

throughout for natural

ventilation.

Natural ventilation through

service voids.

The CCHQ is part of a wider sustainable environmental system

throughout Canvey Common.

Environmental Strategy

BUILDING PERFORMANCE | SYSTEMS


Power supply

Water supply

Reuse of energy and water.

Reuse of grey water from the cafe and

workshop for toilet flushing.

Reuse of excess heat and energy from TV

studio through rest of building.

Sun-path.



The zoned approach to design, alongside a well-insulated external

fabric, allows for efficient and localised heating systems.

Heating & Zoning Strategy

The building will use energy

efficient heating systems, powered

by the electricity that is generated

on site.

There will be separate heating

systems for separate spaces: the

TV studio, the public areas, the

offices, the boardroom, and the

basement cinema. This is aimed at

minimising the use of heating, only

having the system active where

necessary at any one time. For

example the Boardroom may be

largely vacant, or the TV studio may

maintain a comfortable temperature

without the need for heating when it

is in use.

The building will be well-insulated,

minimising heat loss throughout,

particularly with the excessive

glazing to some areas. Thermal

mass panels will also be utilised on

the interior of office spaces and the

boardroom to passively heat the

space as much as possible.

Similarly the basement with its

envelope of concrete can also

utilise thermal mass.

The TV studio can also be used to

heat the spaces around it, utilising

the excess energy created by

lighting and camera equipment.

Unheated service void

Circulation void

Localised heating

system in each office

and the Boardroom. Well

insulated, thermal mass

panels retain heat and

release it for passive

heating and cooling.

Unheated caravan lift void

Main heating system to

include ground floor,

function room and public

circulation and viewing

spaces between. Well

insulated cladding panels

and double glazing for heat

retention. Use of heating to

be minimised as much as

possible to reduce energy

consumption.

Separate heating system in

basement. Thermal mass of

surrounding concrete allows

infrequent use.


1 2

3

Exhibition Space is

part of energy efficient

main heating system.

Extensive glazing will

be double glazed to

prevent heat loss in the

winter.

The TV studio will

produce excess heat

from the lighting and

camera equipment. This

makes it a hot space in

the centre of the building.

This excess heat can

then be utilised to heat

the surrounding spaces.

The thick structural

concrete floor at ground

level will retain a lot of heat

alongside the basement

walls. This thermal mass

will release heat into the

surrounding spaces.

Detail of thermal mass panels to

exterior of the office spaces. 1:50.

1 Energain® thermal mass panel:

Aluminium –laminated with a core of

copolymer and a paraffin wax 'phase

change' material.

2 Insulated cavity behind.

3 White-painted aluminium exterior

cladding panels.



Naturally ventilating the building reduces energy consumption, and

emulates a caravan in the wilderness.

Ventilation & Cooling Strategy

The building is naturally ventilated

throughout, reducing the energy

consumption of the building.

In the main, spaces have openable,

caravan-like windows, for example

in the offices, boardroom, function

space and public ground floor.

The service and circulation core

and the caravan lift at either side of

the building, act as voids for

ventilation, particularly for the

basement cinema.

The Exhibition Space acts as an

atrium at the front of the building.

Air is drawn in through vents

installed between the corrugated

metal panels and the glazed curtain

wall. Vents in the roof of the

Exhibition space allow a flow of air

through, passively ventilating the

building through stack effect.

The TV studio produces excess

heat which can be expelled into the

void above the suspended ceiling,

and out through the vents in the

exhibition space. Similarly cool air is

brought in via vents underneath the

screen into the void below the

studio. In this way the television

studio can be naturally ventilated

without compromising sound

proofing.


Detail of ventilation at the

bottom of the Exhibition Space.

NTS.



Like the luxury of a caravan in the wilderness, the building is

excessive with its TV studio, extrovert lighting and cinemas.

Lighting & Energy Use

As previously mentioned the

building utilises natural and passive

systems to create a low-energy

building. This is extended into the

lighting strategy, utilising natural

lighting in the public spaces, offices

and function room whenever

possible.

However, due to the natural

conditions of the UK, artificial

lighting will also need to be installed

to allow for short days in the winter,

or bad weather all year round. The

lights will be zoned to ensure only

necessary use.

Similarly artificial lighting is used for

dramatic effect in some spaces.

The suspended ceiling running

through the TV studio and exhibition

space will have numerous rows of

lights to light up the building at

night. The function room will also

often be used in the evening,

making effective lighting important.

The TV studio will be the main

consumer of energy within the

building, in order to run the cameras

and equipment, as well as properly

lighting the set. The natural lighting

achieved by the glass curtain wall to

the exhibition space will need to be

covered when necessary, so as not

to create unwanted shadows on the

set. Similarly the two cinema

screens in the basement and on the

exterior of the studio will use

energy. The caravan lift and the

passenger lift are also consumers

of energy.

All electrical systems will utilise

energy efficient components, but it

is assumed that the electricity

generated on site by the bio-

digestor, the tidal power and piezo-

electric roads will be more than

enough to maintain the building.

Service void

Suspended ceilings in

offices, ground floor and

TV studio allows efficient

but hidden service

distribution.

Minimal energy use achieved with

natural lighting as much as possible

and efficient electrical items.

Two plant rooms at either

side of the basement

under each core allows

efficient distribution of

services and energy

High energy usage with

artificial lighting lots of

electrical items. Lights

and electrics as efficient

as possible using energy

created on site.

Some artificial lighting for night

or winter use of spaces.

April 2050 The Caravan Club Magazine 75 Main Image: Artists impression of lighting to Exhibition Space. Architects Own.

Image (below): Lighting in Function Space. Architects Own.



The TV studio, a publicly viewed ‘performance’ area, should be

protected from sound pollution and perform acoustically inside.

Acoustic Performance

The TV studio appears as a

suspended box inside the fabric of

the building through the use of a

suspended ceiling to itself and the

ground floor below. The cinema

screen on its exterior wall is also

pushed out from the facade,

allowing a continuous void around

the TV studio space. This void can

be utilised as a sound barrier zone

where an acoustic panel lining

absorbs any sound that escapes

the TV studio itself and similarly

absorbs any caravan or car sounds

from the parking area outside. The

use of natural ventilation in the

studio would usually compromise

the sound-proofing, but this sound

barrier acts as buffer, absorbing

sound whilst still allowing air to pass

through.

The glazed curtain wall separating

the studio from the exhibition space

is constructed with double glazed

panels of acoustic laminated glass.

This allows visual connection with

the public space without

compromising the sound quality.

The interior of the TV studio also

utilises acoustic panels in order to

create an effective acoustic

performance of the space within,

dampening the echos that would

otherwise characterise the large 3

storey space.

Acoustic laminate

glass to curtain

wall to exhibition

space

Acoustic panels

surrounding the TV studio

to avoid noise pollution into

the space, and to create a

functional acoustic

performance inside the

studio

Acoustic panels to

create effective

acoustic

performance inside

studio

April 2050 The Caravan Club Magazine 77 Precedent Image: ARUP website. (http://ww.arupassociates.com/en/)


Detail Axonometric of floor and wall of TV

studio 1:20.

1 Steel frame construction

2 Acoustic wall to TV studio:

Acoustic wall panels, plywood, air gap

with staggered timber batons, insulation,

steel box section frame, wall finish to

circulation areas.

3 Air vent in floor for natural ventilation

4 Electric point. Cables hidden in

suspended ceiling below.

5 Steel deck with poured concrete floor.

Insulation between steel beams below.

6 Suspended ceiling to ground floor

below:

Steel C-sections with ceiling ties, Steel

box section frame, acoustic panels to

absorb sound from areas below TV

studio and external noise from vents at

rear, plywood ceiling finish.

1

2

3

4

5

6

PRECEDENTS

Sky Studios, ARUP Assosciates. (2012).

The first naturally ventilated studio

space, that uses a channel in the ground

floor slab and chimneys along the façade

to ventilate the space through the stack

effect, whilst still maintaining a sound-

proof TV studio.



Two separate cores allow safe escape in the event of fire, as well as

efficient circulation day-to-day.

Circulation & Fire Strategy

CIRCULATION SPACES

The main circulation core comprises

a stairwell, a passenger lift and the

services void. It is an extension of

the public areas. The core also

extends on to the roof to allow

access to the Boardroom.

The caravan lift is a hydraulic lift

system, that allows movement of a

floor plate strong enough to support

a caravan.

FIRE

The building should employ Passive

Fire Protection where possible,

protecting, preventing and

containing fire if it occurs in the

building.

To protect the building from fire, the

main structural steel frame is fire

treated, protecting it from the high

temperatures generated during a

fire. The concrete floor slabs also

withstand fire.

The main at risk area is the TV

studio, with its extensive electrical

use. Therefore a sprinkler system

could be installed. The walls

separating it from the main building

should be fireproof where possible,

in order to contain a fire if it occurs.

All spaces have compliant fire

escape routes with appropriate

distances from the main circulation

core. The fourth and fifth floor also

utilise a secondary fire escape stair

in the caravan lift shaft. The

basement can also use this escape

route.

Main circulation stair

acts as means of

escape for offices, and

primary escape for

studio, function room

and boardroom Fire escape stair to rear

of caravan lift shaft with

access doors in function

room and tv studio as

well as access on roof for

Boardroom.

April 2050 The Caravan Club Magazine 79 Precedent Images: Google Images.

PRECEDENTS

Hydraulic lift jack used in industry and

construction.

Car lift used in residential projects or car

showrooms.

Typical Floor Plan with fire escape

routes. NTS.

1 Exhibition Space void—escape via

main entrance at ground floor

2 Caravan Lift Shaft with fire escape

stair to rear of building.

3 TV studio with main escape to

circulation and viewing. Secondary

escape route via door in infinity wall.

5 Office space with fire escape to

main circulation core.

6 Toilets with escape to main

circulation core.


View of Outdoor Cinema. Architects Own.


A scale version of the complete set of technical

drawings for the CCHQ are available on special

request from the Caravan Club. The drawings

include:

01 Context Plan 1:1250 @ A1

02 Site Plan 1:500 @ A3

03 Site Sections 1:500 @ A3

04 Basement Plan 1:200 @ A3

05 Ground Floor Plan 1:200 @ A3

06 First and Second Floor Plans 1:200 @ A3

07 Third and Fourth Floor Plan 1:200 @ A3

08 Fifth Floor Plan 1:200 @ A3

09 Section A-A 1:200 @ A3

10 Section B-B 1:200 @ A3

Full details available at www.caravanclub.co.uk.


To the West of Thorney Bay beach

was the larger of the island’s two

caravan parks. It was roughly half

permanent residences and half

holiday lets with 2 or 3 bedrooms.

There were between 800 and 900

homes in the park. In the summer

the park was frequented by people

attracted to Canvey for the

beaches, however in the winter it

was left largely deserted, bleak and

uninviting.

The caravans were mostly identical

and in rigid organization, with each

static caravan parked barely 5m

from the next. The park had cheap

accommodation and quickly got a

reputation for asylum seekers or

people on probation or bail.

However there were some

charming characteristics to the

park. On the eastern side the

caravans were more loosely

organized, creating clusters and

individual caravans at jaunty

angles. These caravans were also

individual styles and often

customized.

There was also a strong sense of

community within the park, with

people in and out of each-others

dwellings, sharing facilities and

spaces.

The caravan park was next to the

beach at Thorney Bay, however

there was little connection between

the two areas due to the high sea

wall defences.

Today, Thorney Bay provides the

ideal location for the Town Centre.

It is roughly in the centre of the

southern coastline, providing good

access to the Eastern Marshes and

Western Wilderness. It’s coastline

location provides good visibility from

the estuary, and the ability for a

connection to the sea, whilst also

being protected by the shelter of the

bay.

Once likened to ‘a gigantic council estate’, Thorney Bay Caravan Park

epitomized the character of Canvey Island.

The Origins of Thorney Bay

APPENDICES | HISTORY

April 2050 The Caravan Club Magazine 85 Images: Photographs of the original Caravan Park at Thorney Bay. 2014.


Caravan Community

The origin of the word caravan was

in trade and transportation of goods

in Persia – from the word ‘karwan’,

meaning ‘company of

merchants’ (The Telegraph 2012).

There was an idea that travelling in

groups would provide more

protection from thieves, and so the

animal-drawn caravan was born.

However the idea of a travelling

existence had been around for

centuries with the Romany Gypsies

travelling the empire.

In 18th-19th century USA, ‘Wagon

Trails’ were used to transport

goods and communities across the

country. There was threat from the

native inhabitants and so people

used caravans drawn by horses in

long processions. At night the

wagons were parked in a circle to

try to protect the travellers –

however not always successful.

The use of a caravan for leisure

was first invented in 1885 by Dr W

Gordon Stables, whose horse

drawn caravan allowed people to

temporarily live like a gypsy. The

idea was stalled by the first and

second world wars however when

manufacture went solely on war

work.

After the second world war the new

methods of manufacture meant

new opportunities for cheap mass

production of caravans. This,

alongside the demand for cheap

holidaying options with an increase

in leisure time after the war, and

progression in art and design saw a

boom in the caravan industry in the

UK.

Rather than just the traditional

wooden frame and plywood skin,

caravans benefitted from new

materials in the 70s and 80s,

utilising lightweight plastics and

metals for caravan construction.

Campervans and motorhomes also

grew in popularity, particularly the

cult VW campervan.

A historic pastime with its roots in trade, creativity, tourism and the

appeal of a ‘home from home’.

APPENDICES | COMMUNITY


The idea of a caravan has also

been explored by many artists and

designers, pushing the idea of

customisation of the simple object

to create all kinds of weird and

wonderful caravans. These are

often for commercial uses such as

shops or cafes, but also for art

projects and designer campsites.

These types of projects use all

sorts of different materials to

construct the small spaces.

CARAVAN PARKS

Black Beck Caravan Park, Cumbria.

A caravan park inhabiting the forest,

where units follow a more organic layout

along winding routes through the trees.

Pettycur Caravan Park, Fife.

A caravan park along the coastline with

lines of caravans in the hillside with

beautiful views into the bay.

Main Image: Collage of Caravans. Architects Own.

Precedent Images: Google Images.


THE CANVEY COMMON CARAVAN

Caravans have maximum sizes in

order to be legally towed on UK

roads. This is to ensure safety for

the caravanner but also for other

road users. In this case we are only

considering the towable caravan

and not static caravans.

For a caravan that can be towed on

UK roads by a normal sized car

(3500kg or less):

2300mm width x 7000mm length

height is 3000mm as an accepted

guideline

Larger vehicles on UK roads can

tow a maximum of:

2550mm x 12000mm

Another important thing to consider

is the size of a caravan pitch that is

generally accepted in caravan

parks. This is both for health and

safety but also the caravan

equivalent of a Space Standard.

As a general caravan club guideline

each caravan pitch is a minimum of

9m long to accommodate the

caravan and a car. The width

varies.

Caravans should be set apart for

fire safety, however this is not

always the case in commercial

caravan parks. The accepted

guideline is 6m apart.

However it should be noted that on

Canvey Common people can

choose where they pitch and so

although size has been considered

in the planning it is up to the users

to ultimately decide.

A structure ‘adapted for people to live in which is capable of being

moved from one place to another’.—The Caravan Act 1960.

Defining Requirements

APPENDICES | ADDITIONAL INFORMATION


NEW ROADS

The Main Road, Thorney Bay Road,

Refinery Circle Rd and Coastal Road

need to comply with Highway

Guidelines. Although Thorney Bay

Road and Refinery Circle Road is

partly existing, the other roads are

new.

These would be Type 3A ‘Local

Distributor Roads’ which serve over

400 dwellings and connect to larger

highways on the mainland. These

roads must be 6750mm wide and

have safe footpaths either side.

The other roads are proposed to be

Footpaths and Dirt Tracks into

wilderness. For this reason they relate

most closely to Type 5 Minor Access

Roads. These serve Mews Courts,

Housing Squares and Driveways,

which on Canvey Common describe

the clusters of residential caravans

around the island. These roads only

need to be between 2300mm and

4500mm wide and do not need to

have separate pathways but can be

shared surface.

PRECEDENT

Broadway Caravan Club SIte

Precedent Images: Google Images.


Planning Policy:

Thames Gateway South Essex

Green Grid Strategy. April 2005

Castlepoint Borough Council Local

Plan. 2014.

Caravan Site Application Form ,

Section 6. 2014. https://

www.gov.uk/apply-for-a-licence/

caravan-and-camping-site-licence/

castle-point/apply-1

Common Land Guidance Sheet,

The Planning Inspectorate. http://

www.planningportal.gov.uk/

planning/countryside/commonland/

guidance

Precedent Information:

www.burningman.com

National Geographic. Cary

Wolinsky. 2001. (http://

ngm.nationalgeographic.com/

ngm/0101/feature6/

www.ruiz-geli.com

Government Definition of Common

Land. https://www.gov.uk/common-

land-village-greens

http://artkidhannah.wordpress.com/

tag/craft-victoria/

www.arupassociates.com

Caravan Club Information:

Caravan Club Website.

www.caravanclub.co.uk

Caravan Club Magazines.

November 2011 to August 2011.

South Essex Caravan Club

Website. www.secc-online.co.uk.

Architectural Practice:

Lupton, Sarah, ‘Architects’ contracts with clients’ in Ninth Edition Architect’s Legal Handbook The Law for Architects ed. Anthony Speaight QC. Oxford: Architectural Press, 2010.

Brown, Graham, ‘Legal

Organisation of Architects’ Offices’

in Ninth Edition Architect’s Legal

Handbook The Law for Architects

ed. Anthony Speaight QC, . Oxford:

Architectural Press, 2010.

Structure and Materials:

Cladco Profiles (http://

www.cladco.co.uk/). Trissomet 333

Insulated Panels.

Pilkington K-Glass and Optiphon

Literature. 2012.

Dupont. Energain® Installation

Guide UK. 2012.

April 2050 The Caravan Club Magazine 91 Image: Thorney Bay Caravan Park, Canvey Island. 2014. Architects Own.

Canvey Carnival 2050

Prepare Your Caravan NOW!

The Event of the Year

CALL US FOR MORE INFORMATION AND EVENT TIMETABLES ON:

01268 510011 Remember to have your Caravan Club Membership details when you call.

Canvey Carnival sees the best and most bizarre of

our Caravans take to the roads of Canvey Common

in a celebration parade of all things Caravan Club.

We invite you to join us this July on Canvey Com-

mon, to enter your caravan into this years competi-

tions to win a place on the parade, or simply to

come and join in the fun of watching and celebrat-

ing with other Club Members.

The Carnival runs from Saturday 12th July to Sun-

day 13th July with markets, games, live music and

other events as well as the famous Canvey Carni-

val Parade.

We look forward to seeing you this year!

design realisation report - caravan club magazine april 2050

Documents

caravan club users

new building

building client

building performance

wilderness of canvey

connection building

narrative of canvey

comfortable building