Whitburn Coastal Conservation Centre
by MawsonKerr Architects
Client National Trust
Award RIBA North East Award 2025
The award winner tells us: "Whitburn Coastal Conservation Centre is a collaboration between National Trust and SeaScapes and adjacent to Souter Lighthouse in Whitburn, South Tyneside.
The centre acts as a gateway to The Leas coastline and enables community organisations and groups to use the space as a hub for their conservation work and nature programming activities, helping to raise awareness of North East coastal conservation issues.
The design complements the ’heavy’ lighthouse, grounded to the rock, with a lightweight ’floating’ structure emerging from the landscape with framed views of the lighthouse and large open views of the coast.
The building almost wears the trust’s mission for the centre as a jacket: exposed timber panel structure internally, with 100% recycled plastic tiles from construction waste externally. Perfectly illustrating how materials can be reused and not end up polluting our coasts and seas."
The jury says: "The building sits quietly in the landscape, in contrast to the imposing scale of the lighthouse. Located on a challenging site with multiple constraints, the sculpted form of the Conservation Centre hovers over the ground. Its structure navigates drainage pipes, ordnance contamination and a public footpath while hugging the hillside which is a key site for netting and ringing migrating birds.
The exterior is clad in recycled plastic tiles which look like slates at first sight. This surprisingly beautiful cladding is elevated by careful and crisp detailing. The tiles themselves tell an important story, highlighting the damage to the coast from plastic and landfill sites."
Read the full citation from the RIBA Awards Jury on RIBA Journal
Contractor Arcas Building Solutions
Structural engineer JC Consulting
Environmental/M&E engineer Sally and Couch
Landscape architect Southern Green
Quantity surveyor/Cost consultant Todd Milburn
Gross internal area 100m²
