Poised on the mouth of Loch Lomond, this series of buildings provides a base camp for kids coming from the city to infiltrate during musical retreats. It provides secluded accommodation, a riverside eating area, as well as a multipurpose performance space. It intends to capture the freedoms of school trips, giving a sense of temporary ownership, and should allow access to its natural setting, without impeding on it.

Its design was informed by lightweight boatshed structures in the area, which utilise reusable modular components for ease of assembly and disassembly, curbing landfill waste. This type of industrial building is also designed to be impermanent and low impact to adapt to evolving uses of site.

Both kids and adults stay in cabins made of CNC milled cork blocks, with jointed timber framing and polycarbonate cladding. This allows local labourers with unspecialised tools to be employed, as components are prefabricated offsite and bolted or slotted together. The plant-based interiors suggest a connection to the environment, whilst accommodating for thermal, elemental, acoustic and comfort considerations. The outer skin is a visual tie to the abundance of corrugated steel in the area, and also regulates light, privacy and moisture.

The performance space is a panelised geometric ‘shed’ hung from a spider-like exoskeleton, which creates a spacious hall where performances and rehearsals occur — an intermediary between a stack of private interior rooms, and the outside. This is an intermediary of temperature, light, noise and moisture. The stack houses a practice room, common area, quiet space, toilet block, reception desk, light tunnel, instrument storage and creates a meandering staircase and seating area on the roof above, allowing informal audiences to gather for smaller performances (as requested by the client), with bleacher seats to cater for larger capacities.

The scheme ultimately intends to harness the energy of its users and redirect it, rather than subduing it. The site was picked for its visibility and centrality, and therefore aims to be a beacon from within the town, without intruding on the serenity of its surroundings.

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