In 2016, around 50 beach huts dating back to the 1930s, situated on Jubilee Parade in Lowestoft, Suffolk were demolished after engineers raised concerns about the structural safety of the cliff face behind them. In 2021, East Suffolk Council approved the building of 72 new huts and Norwich based architects Chaplin Farrant were asked to design their replacements.
The modern huts are split across two levels, with an elevated deck and designed to be reminiscent of, and echo the neighbouring undulating pitched roofs typical of a shore front frontage. The 72 new beach huts, named ’Eastern Edge’, have just been completed and are being snapped up by buyers. The huts face partially south to ensure maximum sunshine throughout the day and the tips of the structures face eastwards, reflecting Lowestoft’s position as the most easterly location in the country and inspiring their new name.
To celebrate the completion of the huts and as a part of their topic of the Seaside, Year 3 children from Heartsease Primary School have been working with Chaplin Farrant architect, Jerene Irwin, as part of a RIBA Architecture Ambassadors project to design and make miniature models of their own beach huts.
Eastern Edge Beach Huts - a case study
The project began with pupils learning about the history of the local area and the origins of the British seaside holiday, plus the development of seaside tourism and entertainment. Pupils then met Jerene and learnt about what architecture is and how architects work. They saw some of her own work and Jerene explained the evolution of beach huts and her own Lowestoft beach hut project to them.
Before designing and making their own beach huts, pupils considered how to make 3D shapes and completed some numeracy work with their teachers on how to draw and create nets for different three dimensional shapes. Pupils then enjoyed drawing elevation, plan and section drawings of their own beech huts and transforming their designs into mini architectural models.
Once completed the pupils took their beach hut models to Great Yarmouth and placing their models along the seafront where they considered the context, daylight and scale as well as the impact of their beach huts on the surrounding area.
It was an exciting project for all involved, Jerene said,
"It was a fantastic project to work with the pupils on and I was delighted with the range of designs and imagination the pupils showed in their designs. They considered complex design decisions including how people might use the spaces and sustainability. They should be very proud of their achievements."
Get involved with the RIBA Architecture Ambassador initiative
In the Architecture Ambassadors programme, the RIBA Learning team partners architecture professionals with teachers to design and deliver creative, and cross-curricular architecture-focused workshops in schools.
Partnerships are free for all schools thanks to the dedication of the architecture professionals we work with, who volunteer their time and creativity as Architecture Ambassadors in order to engage children and young people in architecture and the built environment.
The Architecture Ambassadors programme travels to different geographical areas each term, and forms part of our National Schools Programme offer.
Join as an architectural professional, sign up your school as a teacher, or find out more.
