Located at East beach, Shoeburyness, Southend on Sea, these beach huts feature 16mm Marlon ST Triplewall Clear sheets used as outer lining of the walls. The design was developed by Pedder and Scampton Architects Ltd. as the winning entry for an open design competition run by Southend Borough council looking for a sustainable and contemporary take on the traditional beach hut.
Requirements
- Transparent glazing material
- UV protection
- Strength and impact resistance
- Security
A wall construction was devised out of recycled timber pallets bolted into a frame and lined internally with plywood and externally with Marlon ST triple wall. The wall cavities that were created this way were filled with local pebbles, gravel, glass chippings, shells and other recycled material, laid in strata to create an individual pattern for each of beach hut. Marlon ST proved to be the material of choice as the material had to be transparent to make the cavities visible whilst offering enough strength to hold the heavy weight of the filling in the cavities. Marlon ST also met the aim of the council, which was to create a sustainable take on traditional beach huts.
Marlon ST triple wall polycarbonate was chosen both for its visual appearance and for robustness. The site is relatively remote and unsupervised and is exposed to the elements that can have severe impacts especially during winter. The strength and impact resistance of the sheets were key in protecting against vandalism and exposed weathering conditions. Combined with excellent fire resistance, chemical resistance and light weight character, Marlon ST was the perfect fit for this project.
The clear Marlon ST, which a high level of light transmission, allowed for natural light to be used within the beach huts. The product is also thermal insulating, which can allow for heat to be kept in the beach hut during a colder day.
