Boscombe

Our design for the new beach huts is a playful homage to the iconic form of this British institution. We have designed multi-layered, brightly coloured, modern huts of bold geometric shapes, which are designed to be completely opened up to the beach.

Oversized front doors slide right back, and patios are shielded by wind-break screens inspired by head-through-the-hole photo booths which can also be slid back and forth. This means that each hut and its patio can be opened up or closed off completely, as the weather and the user requires. Even when fully ‘closed up’, light will enter the hut from rooflights between the trusses.The gable wraps down to form a bench which is firmly part of the public realm, meaning that the huts can be used by tourists and passers-by who may not know how to obtain a beach hut.

The distinctive profile of intersecting circles is cut from hard-wearing glu-lam members, which are constructed with timber from sustainably managed forests, and will create enable us to precision form aesthetically unique structures. Prefabricating the primary members in this manner will minimise construction time. and ensure that the build runs smoothly. Thought has been given to issues of access for all. There is ample space inside for wheelchair users to move around, and handles and partitions are designed to ensure ease of use for people of all abilities. There are viewholes in the windbreak screens at all levels so people of all heights will see through to the sea at different points. Each hut has its own colour for easy identification, and details are picked out in a contrasting colour.