Boutique Modern teamed up with partner architect Koto to help build luxury holiday accommodation at Leeds Castle in Kent, delivering beautiful lakeside cabins quickly and with minimal disruption to visitors.
For country estates, vineyards and farms, building high-end modular holiday accommodation is an excellent source of additional revenue and offers visitors the opportunity to experience these stunning rural locations in comfort.
At Leeds Castle we delivered single modules which were simply craned into place, reducing the impact on its day-to-day operations.
Almost all the work on the units was completed at our factory in Newhaven, which meant they were quick to install.
Dick Shone, managing director at Boutique Modern said: “We’ve completed a lot of projects like Leeds Castle since we started the company and I’m always excited to see them created in our factory and then installed so quickly in such stunning locations.
“Projects like this give us the chance to showcase the capabilities of our flexible build system and allow us to deliver interesting and beautiful buildings.
“There are real benefits for destinations like Leeds Castle in using modular cabins as a solution.
“We can deliver high quality, beautifully designed buildings with barely any disruption to daily operations and once installed these units offer a high return for the client.
“I’m certain the units at Leeds Castle will continue to prove popular and we’re looking forward to working on more special projects like this around the country with Koto and other partners.”
A challenging site
The lakeside location on the castle grounds presented difficulties in terms of access and our crane needed to be operated carefully, given the risks inherent in the nearby lake.
Phased groundworks allowed the team to work on the foundations for the first module, followed by installation, without driving over the foundations. The team needed just two weeks on site in total to complete the sequential installation process.
Deliveries were coordinated outside of opening hours to avoid disturbing visitors.
Room with a view
Boutique Modern’s flexible build system can be tailored to help architects realise their vision, so we helped Koto to deliver four luxury cabins, tucked away at the bottom of one end of the castle’s beautifully manicured gardens on the banks of the Great Water Lake.
The luxury accommodation is designed to blend in with the timeless elegance of Leeds Castle’s historic setting near Maidstone, Kent, with Koto’s cutting-edge, sustainable design philosophy.
Together we used eco-friendly materials combined with our modular construction methods to create sustainable buildings which harmonise with the natural surroundings.
The cabins feature a private deck, a stargazing rooflight and even an outdoor bath, where visitors can listen to birdsong and unwind, before they visit historic Grade I Listed castle, which is steeped in more than 900 years of history. Each cabin is named after famous guests of the castle such as Noel Coward and Daphne Dumaurier.
Sustainable solution
Modules were constructed with our standard build system and were designed to be energy efficient.
They were built using UK-grown timber and home-grown charred larch to minimise the carbon footprint.
Low energy use water system Flamco supplies hot water to the cabins. The accommodation used 90 per cent less embodied carbon than a traditional build.
Inside the luxury accommodation features stone bathrooms, complete with a sleek black external bathtub. They also benefit from large sliding doors promoting natural ventilation and a motorised blind system.
The lodges maintain optimal internal temperature control while minimising energy consumption and environmental impact.
The accommodation maximises natural light and connects guests with the outside world. The area around the cabins is managed to maximise biodiversity and to protect local wildlife populations, which features bird nests, bat boxes and a reptile refuge.
In demand
Dick Shone, managing director, Boutique Modern, said: “We’ve worked with Koto and other architects over the years to deliver luxury accommodation in some spectacular visitor destinations, but we’re seeing a lot of demand for our modular holiday accommodation due to the additional revenue they generate.
“Our flexible build system can be adapted to architects’ needs and can deliver permanent homes, caravans and leisure accommodation.
“This project with Koto had sustainability at its core and the end results blend seamlessly with the natural surroundings. It will certainly make for a beautiful and restful stay for visitors. We’re very proud to have been a part of this and to see our work in such a magnificent setting.”
Johnathon Little, co-founder at Koto added: “At Koto we are passionate about creating architecture that blends timeless design with sustainability and a deep connection to nature. Our collaboration with Boutique Modern for our project at Leeds Castle is a strong example of this vision in action, where heritage and innovation came together in harmony.
“We chose to partner with Boutique Modern on this particular project because their expertise in precision modular construction allows us to scale our design ambition while delivering greater flexibility, faster build times and significantly reduced environmental impact.
“Together with our factory partners, we’re able to offer commercial clients bespoke, design-led architecture that is not only beautiful and functional, but also future-proofed through sustainability and efficiency.”
