This project, for the forward-thinking Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council, provides a high-quality leisure destination which complements the existing attractions in the popular and prestigious Lakeside area.

The Client identified a need for multiple buildings and structures on site, including the prominent main pavilion, a sustainable and highly efficient timber-clad structure with a light, oversailing roof providing covered dining space – architecturally a distinctive departure from the typical buildings in this location and a testament to Doncaster’s open-minded approach and our collaborative working relationship.

Led by DLG’s sustainability champion, Associate Director Neil Swift, the green potential of the site formed a key concern for the council and the project needed to balance green ambition with the operational requirements of food & beverage operators and high anticipated visitor numbers. To that end, DLG worked alongside the council to identify the key project drivers, whilst consulting with the Tenant stakeholders to understand their requirements and how these could be consolidated within the wider site masterplan, minimising service routes and maximising visitor and externally-planted space, including over 5000 plants and 120 trees.

The buildings were clad in sustainably-sourced timber, electric vehicle charging and, despite the pavilions’ modest scale, included solar PVs to support the energy strategy providing a £750k per year return to the Client- an important target within the Councils Net Zero commitment. The public-fronting elevation provides space for landscaped external eating and drinking with centralised servicing from the rear.