Roman hut

The inspiration for the project comes from Britain's rich Roman heritage. There are a large number of Roman sites in Britain. Some of which are located near Tame Valley and Birmingham. At the very beginning of the development of the project, the idea was to find some way of manipulating the water. The inspiration for such an idea came from the great network of canals and the navigability of Britain itself. That kind of intervention seemed too invasive for the site.

At one point in the analytical process, while the intention was to search for a view towards the wetlands, a conclusion occurred. The best vantage points are along the embankment. That way, whatever structure appears there will be minimally invasive to the wetland. And that's where the Romans come in. In an effort to create a kind of footbridge between two viewpoints, the aesthetics were irresistibly reminiscent of the Roman heritage. But the idea of water manipulation was still there. Water was a very important aspect of life in ancient Rome. They were widely known for their water architecture such as irrigation and drainage systems, aqueducts, canals, etc. They managed to manipulate water to provide clean drinking water, and maintain hygiene, but also for fun. Bathhouses were very important places in the life of every Roman. Almost every small town owned them. The thermae did not serve exclusively as places for maintaining hygiene, they were very often also a catalyst for the social dynamics of the entire society. Something like a modern country club. Some of these bathhouses were located at certain points of important roads in the empire. They also offered the possibility of overnight accommodation. 

The architecture of the Roman baths was organized around a centrally placed atrium courtyard. Along the atrium were the palaestras, or exercise areas, followed by the tepidarium (warm room), caldarium (hot room), and frigidarium (cold room). And this is where the idea came up that the future form of the visitor center is based on the typology of Roman baths. Since the atrium represents a spatial structure, and the palaestra a linear, the idea was to make it an object and a footbridge that connects the building and two viewpoints. In the beginning, there were problems in the form of the number of buildings on the site. There were several iterations until the simplest solution seemed to be the best. That there should be one footbridge and one atrium building. 

The footbridge was formed in the form of an inclined ramp. In this way, a gentle climb leads to the viewpoint that looks in the direction of the southeast. From the footbridge in the opposite direction, ramps lead to the wetland on the site. They not only have the function of movement but also contribute to the dynamics of the structure. 

The main building is formed into two parts. The first part is the spa, created by remodeling the terrain by pressing the form of the atrium. There are swimming pools. The second part is the visitor center, which is raised above the ground. The main entrances to the facility are via ramps. The concrete one goes down and leads visitors to the bathhouse, while the wooden one goes up and leads them to the visitor center. Communication between these two units is achieved by vertical communications that are placed diagonally. Next to them, in the part of the building where is the bathhouse, there are changing rooms and maintenance rooms. While in the area where the visitor center is, there are restrooms for both guests and staff. Approaches to the bathhouse are arranged by rotation in orthogonal symmetry. In the middle of the floor plan, this unit is divided into two zones. Open and closed. A spa center with a pool with lukewarm water is located in the closed area. While in the open atrium, there is a pool with hot water. From it, the entire structure can be viewed vertically. In the closed part there are also saunas, halotherapy rooms, and massage rooms. The construction of this part of the building is made of concrete, and in some sense tends to resemble an excavation site.

On the other hand, the part of the building that is raised above the ground was built according to the same principle as the footbridges. It is a timber skeleton structure. Its form is an atrium object of a hemmed rectangular pyramid. The ground floor is completely open. Openness gives a greater ambient value. The structure above provides protection from the sun and rain. These spaces can be used as meeting places, workshops... The main entrance to the visitor center is located on the first floor. In the extension, there is an exhibition space that spills over to the next floor in the form of a museum. This floor is divided into two parts. A section for shorter-stay visitors and a section for longer-stay visitors. Accommodation is provided for longer-stay visitors. In addition, on the first floor, there is a canteen, a souvenir shop, a depot, as well as a large space for recreation, something like a living room. The second floor is mainly reserved for learning, workshop, and administration areas. The museum and the café are placed at opposite ends, with administration and learning spaces between them. This floor provides a great level of ambiance. The side walls are a combination of glass panels and wooden bars over which goes a membrane made of wood that provides a shade. The highlight of this part of the building is the entrance hall with an exhibition space. Double floor height and visible structural elements in combination with a glass roof. Zenith lighting as a light source. In the extension of the exhibition hall, there are footbridges that lead to wetlands.

The architecture tries to communicate indirectly between the wetland and the visitors by providing them with a large number of options. The entire structure on the site tends to be linear. At the same time, it is monumental and tries not to contradict the landscape in which it is located. The name "Roman hut" comes from that, the object is reminiscent of a hut in its aesthetics, but its dimensions and purpose are much closer to a villa.