Whalesborough Farm is a net zero and self-sustaining holiday home development. Harnessing the potential of the land, this visionary development re-defines the potential for sustainable development.

UK Country Parks approached WIA to design a landmark new development that takes a sustainability led approach to the development of holiday homes at Whalesborough Farm, Cornwall. Our proposals include 68 lodges, opportunities for impromptu communal activities, along with more formalised communal areas with wetland habitat to improve the biodiversity of the site, outdoor amphitheatre and padel court.

Our rigorous design process and unique experience in the sector gives us the tools to realise a set of designs that provide our client with marketable, buildable and liveable lodges within a family focussed and experience led approach to master-planning to support tourism and local jobs in the area.

The proposed development has three core design pillars that drive the design. These are Connection, High quality design, and Sustainable.

Connection

To remain in keeping with the surrounding area, our designs propose low level buildings arranged in small clusters. These small clusters have allowed us to design a series of unique character areas which not only creates an interesting approach to the layout of caravan act buildings, but also gives our client flexibility in lettings including large groups or individuals to really maximise the potential of the site.

Uniquely positioned, our site sits at a high point in the area and this has been thoroughly considered from an LVIA & visibility point of view and we have included various roof materials, levels and strategic landscaping in the designs to minimise the impact of the development and add to a depth of architectural merit.

High quality Design

On the edge of historic and dramatic landscapes, our modular lodge designs draw inspiration from these surroundings. The lodges are designed to reference the local landscape and the cove to the west of the site provides a backdrop from which the lodges draw their unique, layered Architectural forms. Undulating, textured, tough and tactile, they grow out of the landscape as dynamic monuments to the natural environment whilst still conforming to the definition of a caravan under the caravan act.

Our designs consider the thresholds of public and private spaces to foster a sense of community whilst at the development

Sustainable

Timber frame construction and fully insulated, the lodges benefit from a sustainability approach for modern and environmentally friendly buildings. Our innovative design approach to the lodges and our expertise with Passivhaus buildings pushes the boundaries of what’s possible with caravan act buildings.

Our approach and inclusion of walking, cycling and natural play routes has maximised the potential for people to make more sustainable choices at the development.

Within walking distance to nearby towns and attractions, this is a really exciting development for the area that will bring a high quality landmark project in the sector.  Aware of summer peak times and winter downtimes and the impact that this can have on local communities, our approach implements strategies to promote 365 tourism and provide moments for flexible and multi use spaces that will, at the same time, provide jobs for local people all year round.

These three pillars of design embed a sense of place that delivers a unique approach to the masterplanning of caravan act buildings and has allowed us to work with our client to design a development that has an unrivalled connection to its immediate context. With these innovative designs and construction methods, our lodge designs redefine the potential and re-look at the opportunities in the market.

We look forward to this project starting on site.