Laggan Locks
Laggan Locks is a collaborative work by Sean Douglas & Gavin Murray (SD&GM) and Oliver Chapman Architects (OCA). It forms the second phase of Scotland’s Scenic Routes initiative, which aims to improve visitor experiences of Scotland’s landscape, enhance rural economies showcase young design talent.
Scottish Canals proposed the sites for Phase 2, building on their previous work with OCA to establish a network of camping pods offering accommodation for boaters, cyclists and walkers trekking at a series of their spectacular locations. The site at Laggan was identified as a potential visitor hub and the brief for facilities to complement the pods presented under the Scenic Routes open competition, which was won by SD&GM.
The structure provides a seasonal café/kiosk that could be securely shut down during the winter months while still providing a sheltered viewpoint down the Great Glen. Toilet and shower facilities are available for visitors and campers using the new Camping Pods.
The key elements of the programme, café/kiosk and toilet/shower facilities are separated but unified by one roof to create a covered platform within the structure. This space forms a passage through which visitors can catch a glimpse of the Great Glen as they approach and pass through into the covered view point.
The use of monochrome materials echoes traditional Canal infrastructure. Charred larch cladding provides a robust envelope to the external environment while bright white timber boarding encourages visitors through the structure to the viewpoint.
The design of the camping pods share silhouette-like forms with the café, eroded and sculpted from cubic volumes and clad in the same charred timber to create an architectural family on the canal side. Sized for modular construction and transportation, the pods represent an evolution of prototypes that the client has commissioned and used at other sites along their network.
