Overstone Lakes Caravan Park Cafe

Client: Allens Caravans

Location: Sywell, Northamptonshire

Set in 115 acres of lakes and wooded parkland, Overstone Lakes Caravan Park is one of eight parks owned and operated by Allens Caravans. In a programme dedicated to enhancing the park, the owners decided to extend its clubhouse to accommodate a restaurant and commission a new building to house additional facilites.

Pinelog has designed and built a number of leisure buildings at other parks owned by Allens Caravans and these had all proved to be very successful. So when it came to upgrading the facilities at Overstone Lakes, the owners had no hesitation in contacting Pinelog again to add an extension to their existing clubhouse and design and build a new building to accommodate a cafe, shop, hair studio and laundry.

The new multi-purpose building is a low pavilion style, designed to be environmentally sustainable and economical to build and run. The single storey laminated timber frame building has walls clad externally in durable European Larch and an overhanging roof finished in natural slate. Roof support posts and a feature turret give the building a simple but pleasing form. Exploiting the commanding views over the park, it includes a full run of large double glazed windows on two faces of the cafe, which take advantage of the location and make optimum use of natural light.

The owners also sought to increase the clubhouse's dining facilities for residents and the general public. The new extension has to match the original building and surroundings. This project demonstrates Pinelog's ability to skilfully add new architecture to an existing building.