The Durley Chine Environmental Hub is a seafront visitor centre for Bournemouth that has been built using low carbon and repurposed materials. Located at the popular Durley Chine beach, the hub serves as an educational, welfare and exhibition space for the public.

Designed to be Net-Zero in operation, the Passivhaus-accredited hub showcases sustainable design and the re-use of timber in construction.

The scheme comprises a highly insulated, 2-storey, timber frame welfare and education building, a café kiosk, and public toilets – all united by a striking green canopy roof. Its key features include the use of reclaimed groyne timbers from the local beachfront, decking from a decommissioned submarine base and newspaper insulation, while locally sourced sand, aggregate and cement replacement was used to create the kiosk.

The pre-existing function of the site was as a municipal compound for collecting waste from the beach. Needing to renew the facility, BCP council decided to create a sustainable multi-function building that would support their wider aims of reducing waste and single-use plastics along the seafront.

The hub’s covered exterior space will host public exhibitions promoting the importance of preserving clean beaches and oceans. An engaging and active ground floor frontage encourages interaction from passers-by and provides easy access to the visitor centre.