Hollybush Lakes

Location: Hollybush Lakes, Aldershot, UK
Client: Drayparks Limited
Scale: 21 floating lodges and amenities (2000sqm), Sports Centre (1750 sqm), Equestrian Centre (2750sqm)
Cost: £12 million
Design Team:
Lead Architects: BACA architects
Landscape Architects: Aspect Landscape
Ecology / BNG: Aspect Ecology
Planning Consultant: Bell Cornwell
BREEAM: Scott White and Hookins
Annual CO2 emissions: BREEAM rating 'Very Good'

Background

We have secured full planning permission for an ambitious aqua sports leisure park, hospitality venue and visitor attraction in the Blackwater Valley near Farnborough.

Covering 16 hectares, of which 9 hectares are water, the site lies in flood zones 2 and 3 and was previously a mineral-extraction facility and car breakers yard, being wrapped in a 5-6m high earth bund to visually and acoustically screen the former industrial site.

By combining ambitions for eco-tourism with high-quality design, ecological restoration and leisure innovation, we can convert a degraded industrial site into a vibrant destination that delivers social, environmental and economic value.


Process

We focused on the concept of an aquatic sports centre alongside floating holiday lodges and restorative ecology.

Retaining and enhancing the existing fishing facilities, we introduced an extensive programme of water-based activities such as kayaking, boating, open-water swimming and a seasonal inflatable assault course.

The existing earth bund from the prior mineral site was repurposed to define the equestrian centre and to anchor the sports centre’s cantilever form. Our design also incorporated floating holiday lodges, 21 lake-front units clustered to capitalise on water views and eco-tourism positioning.

Partnering with ecological specialists, we have committed to an ecological net gain of 12.45% for habitats and 277% for linear features.

This ensures the project is as focused on nature regeneration as on leisure-destination creation.

Architecture:
Floating Lodges

The 21 floating lodges, sited on the southernmost lake, are designed to a high standard of specification and arranged to minimise visual impact while delivering direct water access. Having their own associated parking facilities, to the south of the site and will retain the use of the lakes as a premier fishing facility.

The restoration of the central lake into a pond and wetland system introduces new reed beds and margins at three locations, improving biodiversity and ecological connectivity.

The built environment has been BREEAM pre-assessed at ‘Very Good’, demonstrating our commitment to sustainability. Through this holistic combination of leisure, ecology and architecture, Hollybush Lakes offers a compelling model of how a lakeside leisure park can operate as a regenerative destination rather than simply a development.

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