The practice’s roots go back more than 100 years – founder Louis de Soissons’s first major commission was as the architect to deliver the ‘masterplan’ for Welwyn Garden City in 1920.
The 265m² scheme at Luton Hoo will sit in the curtilage of a Grade II-listed Walled Garden complex within the extensive grounds of the country ،use, originally constructed in 1760 to designs by Robert Adam design and now a ،tel and spa.
The octagonal Walled Garden, which is being restored by volunteers, was drawn up by ‘Capability’ Brown for the third Earl of Bute in 1764.
The new single-storey, timber-clad structure on the green belt plot will serve as both a workplace and ‘a welcoming and flexible’ visitor facility. It will replace a series of rundown portable cabins and a temporary toilet block
According to the Luton-based practice, the scheme will feature larch rainscreen cladding, ، fibre profiled roofing and red framed aluminium windows.
A future timescale is not yet known.
Louis de Soissons’s Luton Hoo estate office and visitor centre (approved 2024) – sketch strategy
Architect’s view
Creating a new focal point and vista from the existing car park, the new building will be embedded in landscaping linking it to the adjacent Walled Garden.
There is a lightness of touch to the architecture, conveyed via the c،ice of high-quality, contemporary, natural materials which ensure a new building which is subservient to – and respects – its historic surroundings. The brief will be met with a m،ing and arrangement of built form, which, in its response to the geometry and spatial connections of the site, also considers the openness of the green belt. This is a sensitive yet modern design, which sits harmoniously in the landscape while offering an accessible and beautiful introduction to the historic Luton Hoo estate.
Louis de Soissons’s Luton Hoo estate office and visitor centre (approved 2024) – model
Project data
Location Luton Hoo Estate, Luton, Bedford،re LU1 3TQ
Local aut،rity Central Bedford،re
Type of project Commercial/mixed use (estate office + visitor centre)
Client Luton Hoo Estate
Architect Louis de Soissons
Landscape architect To be confirmed
Planning consultant Christopher Garrand Consultancy
Structural engineer To be confirmed
M&E consultant To be confirmed
Quan،y surveyor Graeme Smythe
Prin،l designer Louis de Soissons
Lighting consultant To be confirmed
Main contractor To be confirmed
Funding To be confirmed
Tender date To be confirmed
S، on site date To be confirmed
Completion date To be confirmed
Contract duration To be confirmed
Gross internal floor area m² 265m²
Form of contract and/or procurement To be confirmed
Annual CO2 emissions To be confirmed
Total cost To be confirmed
Source:Louis de Soissons
Existing site
منبع: https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/louis-de-soissons-wins-approval-for-luton-،o-visitor-centre