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John Pardey Architect designed these public conveniences for New Forest District Council, emphasising the designer's belief that this very often modest building type can make an important contribution to the public realm.
The scheme for Brockenhurst village replaced a grim concrete and brick building, and forms a 'gatehouse' threshold to a local car park. It is composed as two equal halves - one male, one female - around a central service core. The timber clad scheme features two zinc-clad, steeply pitched roofs which are riven by a continuous, flat strip of roof glazing which allows light to flood in.
The walls are lifted off the floor by 125mm, aiding cleaning to these hard-to-reach areas, while a similar sized gap at roof level helps with ventilation. This idea of 'floating' is continued inside, with nothing touching the floor and swimming pool mosaic tiles lining the walls, ceilings painted white to accentuate the light. Overall, the aesthetics are reminiscent of agricultural barns or an ecclesiastical form, and the kit of parts design can be applied to 10 buildings and adjusted to suit local contexts.
The Judges said:
"These toilets are an attractive addition to the landscape, allied to a thoughtful response to this building type's requirements for easy ventilation and cleaning. A refreshing, high quality new look at an area which is often neglected."