Dungeness & Shepway Masterplanning

If there’s one thing we’ve learned makes better buildings, it’s empathy. Architecture never happens in isolation—and simply by being interested and engaged, we’ve found it’s possible to open up the conversations that connect a scheme to its clients and community.

We believe that the more constraints there are, the better the architecture. If there aren’t any constraints, we create them. Challenging sites, existing buildings and complex briefs almost always present incredible opportunities for great design.

To limit our environmental impact, we start with what is already there. By manipulating the form and fabric of a building—whether new or existing—we can work with the existing conditions of topography, light and orientation, and harness the natural energy sources offered by air, ground and water.

If a site’s constraints guide the bigger design decisions, then it’s empathy that informs the smaller, social details. These details frame the human narratives that aren’t included in the brief, anticipating specific moments in the users’ lives.

Good architecture is as much about what happens on the building site as it is about what’s on the drawing board. By working alongside contractors as well as clients we can ring-fence the ideas and details that matter, championing quality and sustainability throughout construction.

Dungeness & Shepway Masterplanning

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Work

Dungeness and Shepway Masterplanning
Romney Marsh, Folkestone & Hythe

Client

Shepway District Council

The Romney Marsh area comprises a population of some 20,000 people centred on the towns of New Romney, Rye and Lydd. The area traditionally relied on agricultural industries but in the 1950’s and 60’s two nuclear power stations were built (Dungeness A and B), bringing a new source of employment to the area.

Research highlighted the need to bring forward further land for employment use, with Curl la Tourelle Head Architecture commissioned to develop masterplanning proposals for a business and skills hub, education and enterprise, live-work and industrial units, alongside infrastructure and utilities.

The site is centred between the two residential edges of New Romney and Littlestone. Its southern edge is defined by the Romney Marsh which extends all the way down to Dungeness. Romney Marsh is renowned as one of England’s most distinctive landscapes and for its internationally important wildlife habitats. Parts of the Romney Marsh are designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest, requiring careful consideration of massing, position and height of built proposals.

The development of masterplaning proposal was informed by stakeholder engagement workshops. This painted a clear picture of supply and demand in the New Romney area and addressed requirements for future provision of industrial units. Initial sketch concepts investigated lining the site with trees to mitigate visual impact, clustering units with shared planted courtyards and lining the southern edge of the site with live-work units.

A key focus of the masterplanning exercise is the development of a new business Hub. Spaces provided in the Hub will vary in response to the different users’ activities. A flexible work area will be the core of the building, connected to semi quiet spaces such as those for business support sessions, brainstorming, informal meetings. Dedicated spaces for private meetings, conferences, Skype calls or quiet work would complete the offer. Another principal area in the Hub is an open “social” cluster situated at the entrance/reception, including a café and a shared space. These spaces are important and will allow people to relax, meet other start-ups, network and market their businesses.