Building a State-of-the-Art Multi-Pitch Sports Centre in a Historic Landscape.

Matthew Montague Architects' is working with the renowned Stowe School in Buckinghamshire to design new sports facilities within its grounds. Stowe School a Grade I listed site and the designated 'Capability Brown' landscape is recognised as one of Britain’s most historically and architecturally significant estates.

So, how do you build a state-of-the-art multi-pitch sports centre within one of the country’s most historical landscapes?

Aerial map of Stowe School Grounds showing a number of monuments

The image above shows the development site, shown in red. Located approximately 1190m from the Stowe Manor House. It is currently an open-mowed grass playing field used for rugby, cricket and football. Several of the historical monuments are also marked.

With its Grade I-listed status and deep ties to British heritage, Stowe presents a unique design challenge. All developments are overseen by Historic England and influenced by The National Trust, which manages the Georgian landscape gardens. And as with any new sports facilities the requirements of Sports England must also be met.

The project began with stakeholder consultations to allow the team to understand the landscape's limitations and possibilities. The goal is to create a facility that meets the needs of Sports England and the school, including changing rooms, toilets, storage, spectator seating, pitches, and floodlights.

The job of the architect is to navigate these whilst balancing budget constraints, environmental considerations, preservation needs, the requirements of the students and of course exceptional design.

Following stakeholder input and in-depth site analysis the first designs were presented. All involved confirmed an alignment between the concept design and project brief. However, budget constraints required a reduction in building scale, whilst internally the building needs to be 7.5 meters high. This poses design challenges as a building of this height is not easily concealed.

Architect Daniel Evans said “we started with a high-level vision this has helped to clarify the project goals, aesthetics, and functionality, guiding each stage of design and development. Feedback from landscape consultants led to adjustments, including concealing the building to minimise its impact on historic views and introducing tree planting for screening. Plus, viability and affordability constraints.

Concept perspective image.

Daniel continued, “Working on a site of this historical magnitude is undoubtedly challenging, but the process has been immensely collaborative. Each design iteration draws inspiration from the breathtaking landscape.”

Currently, the team is working on a revised scheme that meets budget and site constraints Daniel concluded, “We are much closer to a final design, and while it may not be as grand as initially envisioned, it is filled with design merit and will be a facility that Stowe and I can be proud of.”

Image 1 existing located to the North of the existing playing fields. Bordered by mature and tall greenery, screened by the dense woodland. Image 2 the new hockey pitch. Grouping the pitches together simplifies the flow of movement and enhances the design and management of the floodlighting system, light pollution is minimised maintaining the integrity of the surrounding environment.

Image 3 above are the storage and archive buildings along the new vehicular access route, public access is provided without entering the maintenance yard. The design of the structures, with their agricultural appearance, minimises their visual impact on the northern views, ensuring they blend seamlessly into the surrounding landscape. Image 4 the covered sports hall and changing facility the most prominent aspect of the project is effectively concealed from the historic view, preserving the site's visual integrity.

Image 5 external netball and padel tennis courts placed in close proximity allowing smooth transitions between activities. The Padel Tennis courts, primarily for public use, are conveniently located adjacent to the car park for easy access. Positioning all external courts and hockey pitches in front of the new sports hall creates a unified sports complex. This layout offers excellent views from the first-floor balcony, enhancing the spectator experience and establishing the sports hall as the central hub of the facility. Showing new access road, this will reduce traffic around Stowe House.