PREFACEUnder The canopy

Dunham Massey has a strong connection to nature and to wildlife. Set under the canopy of an old yew tree, our pavilion provides a space for you to stop, observe and enjoy the rich gardens through gently directed outward views. The open, lightweight arches draw one’s eye upwards, towards the intricate canopy that shelters and encloses the site. We take advantage of this natural enclosure, creating a fo-cal point that lets visitors linger under the canopy a little longer.

We believe that our pavilion should have a low impact on both the natural site, and the environment. We took inspiration from the rings of a tree, which get smaller nearer to the core. Each pair of arches is a smaller iteration of the one before, allowing us to take all three arch sets from the same sheets of ply-wood. The resulting structure sits gently on the site without drawing attention away from the surround-ing gardens, but also minimises impact on the greater natural ecosystem.

Designed by: Benjamin Smith, Alistair Hume, Aishah Aziz, Martin Lee, Nick Chizhikov and Matt Stockton

CONCEPTUnder The canopy

Design Development

A large part of Dunham Massey’s visitor experience is the wildlife that inhabits the gardens; the pavilion, which is de-signed not to harm or discourage animals and could act as a platform to observe seasonal animal life from afar.

We designed the pavilion to accommodate the different age groups attracted to Dunham Massey; the three arches and chairs decrease in size, creating a connected space that fits every member of the family.

Visitors are able to walk through the three sets of arches and sit facing inwards or outwards. The open frames cre-ate a sense of connectivity and allows groups of visitors to use the space together. The open pavilion is almost com-pletely open to draw visitors’ gazes to the surrounding canopy of trees. This treats the canopy as an extension of space, as opposed to surrounding space. We would like ‘Under the Canopy’ to be a natural gathering space for this part of the garden.

open design

Closed and Dark Open and Light

Delicately Framed Views

Connectivity

wildlife

Different age groups

CONSTRUCTIONUnder The canopy

Wear and Tear Resistant

Low Odour Emitter

Weather Resistant Responsibly Sourced

Lighter than standard alternatives

Structural WoodReplaceable

Don’t Rust

Economical

MATERIALITY

construction sequence

The materials have been chosen to have a low impact both on the garden and the great-er environment. We have used renewable and reusable and natural materials for our structure to reflect both the views of the national trust and the responsibilities of a mod-ern architect.

SAFETY MECHANISMSUnder The canopy

Slats are packed densely angled upwards near the base, making it difficult for younger visitors to find a grip or a foothold, and preventing potential climbing related injuries. We have also designed the chairs so that they can be locked into place. This prevents the chairs from being unwantedly moved but are still rearrangeable if desired.

We developed three different locking mechanisms for the chairs. This allows Dunham Massey to have the option of having loose chairs that can be moved about on site or locking the chairs in place to prevent unwanted movements to other places of park.

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2

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TESSELLATIONUnder The canopy

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The design can be cut out of sheets of plywood and easily assembled using a combina-tion of bolts and screw fixtures. We have tessellated all of the pieces on sheets of ply-wood; arranged to minimise the use of wood, the design is both economical and ecological.

The arches are held in place by a small base and fixed to the ground with small grounding coils. The slats, fan outwards across the arch frames and hold them rigid, keeping the entire pavilion stiff and stable. The simple design is built of only a few lightweight components, and is therefore easy to prefabricate, trans-port, assemble and manage. Disassembly is equally simple, requiring only a screwdriver and lug wrench.

VISUALISATIONSUnder The canopy

EAST West

South North

The minimal structure allows views into the canopy or surrounding gardens from every angle. We want the pavillion to compliment the gardens, instead of drawing attention from the gardens.

SEASONSUnder The canopy

SPRING

summer

Autumn

winter

We believe that a pavilion needs to become a part of the landscape; it should compliment, not contradicts its surroundings; it should enhance, not ignore, the gardens.

Our pavilion rests lightly on site and allows the full diversity of Dunham Massey’s visitors to stop, observe and enjoy the rich space ‘Under the Canopy’