This project was the subject of a £5 million ‘Myplace Bid’, submitted by the Caldecotte Xperience (Milton Keynes Council Outdoor Education Service) in partnership with Action 4 Youth.

The scheme involved the design of a new ‘state of the art’ water activities centre at Caldecotte Lake in Milton Keynes, greatly extending the facilities presently provided to create an accessible and vibrant facility for young people of all abilities. The building makes several nautical references, with the roof taking the form of an upturned hull and a mast for the mounting of a helical wind turbine. It is intended to be low energy and highly sustainable, employing ground source heat pumps, solar shading, green roof technology, solar panels, photovoltaic cells, rainwater harvesting and grey water recycling. The layout is designed to integrate with the topography, water and landscape setting to create an intriguing and functional scheme.