A new pavilion for Teddington Cricket Club by Reed Watts Architects sits lightly within the landscape of Bushy Park

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Ben Tynegate

Reed Watts Architects has completed a new pavilion in Bushy Park, Richmond upon Thames, for Teddington Cricket Club. The 600-square-metre structure was built in just seven months in the grade-1-listed park and provides both a new home for the club, and sports and leisure facilities for the local community.

Teddington Cricket Club, a highly successful amateur cricket team, has been based on the site in Bushy Park since 1863. Its previous clubhouse was formed from two Nissen huts, dating back to the Second World War when Bushy Park was used as a headquarters for the planning of Operation Overlord (D-Day). The club was in urgent need of new facilities to replace the building’s ageing timber structure and poorly-organised accommodation.

Given the sensitive nature of the site, extensive consultation was required by Reed Watts with the Borough of Richmond upon Thames, Royal Parks, Historic and Natural England, and local stakeholders to secure planning permission and conservation area consent.

One of the key strategic ambitions of the project was to reduce the need for visitors to drive through the park to reach the club. To achieve this Reed Watts proposed that a new entrance be created into the park, through the listed masonry boundary wall. This gives direct access to the site for the first time, making the park and cricket grounds free from traffic, cleaner and greener for all.

Reed Watts’ designs reimagine the typical sports pavilion with a building that responds positively to the park setting, whilst referencing the form of both the Nissen huts and the original pavilion. It includes four new changing rooms, two large social spaces and a roof terrace. The L-shaped plan provides views over both of the team’s pitches and across the park, while shielding the back-of-house areas and practice nets from the public view.

The landscape of Bushy Park heavily influenced the design, with the building’s low form a discreet presence beneath the mature trees that line the boundary of the park. A calm material palette was similarly chosen to harmonise with the surroundings. The majority of the cladding is dark-stained larch, while the central block has a natural finish that instantly beds into the natural landscape but will further soften with age.

The primary structure is constructed from a timber SIPs system. This lightweight structure was erected quickly and required relatively small foundations, minimising its impact on the ground and disturbance to visitors to the park as well as the deer and other wildlife in the adjacent SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest).

At ground level the new space is split into two distinct zones. Four team changing rooms and an official’s changing room, to English Cricket Board standards and fully accessible, are located along the northern edge. The main block, facing the pitches, includes an open plan bar/clubroom which can be subdivided when required.

Between the pitched roofs a new roof terrace affords panoramic views of the cricket pitches and the landscape beyond, and provides an elevated stage where the club can host outdoor events. Behind the terrace is a generous wildflower green roof that contributes to the site’s biodiversity and attenuates rainwater. The club office and scorer’s box are also located at this raised level.

Sustainability was integral to all design decisions. The highly energy-efficient structure is set to attain BREEAM ‘Excellent’ accreditation, a challenging target for a relatively small community building, significantly distanced from transport and facilities.  Environmental features include a ground source heat pump, a 28,000 litre water tank to help irrigate the pitches, and mechanical heat recovery throughout.

The pavilion is an important community resource that is used throughout the year, not just the summer cricket season. As well as Teddington Cricket Club, the building is home to Radnor House School sports teams, Teddington Athletic FC and a number of other local sports groups, meaning it will be used throughout the year.

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