East Quay Pods

Category: Accommodation | Location: Somerset
Products used: KERDI-LINE, KERDI-SHOWER, DITRA

Thinking outside the pod

Set over multiple levels and containing five accommodation pods built amongst plenty of creative spaces, East Quay is a stunning building situated in Watchet, Somerset. The project was commissioned by Somerset-based social enterprise Onion Collective and led by architects George Williams and Owen Hughes Pearce of PEARCE+Fægen.

The duo designed the pod interiors whilst Invisible Studio were the concept architects for the building and Mark Anstey of Ellis Williams Architects was the project architect.

Photo of a colourful bathroom shower a shower and toilet taken from the entrance ©Glyn Jarrett

Bathroom of pod 4 at East Quay Pods

Photo of a blue tiled bathroom which is DDA compliant for full accessibility ©Glyn Jarrett

DDA compliant bathroom of pod 2 at East Quay Pods

Mezzanine room with mesh net for the floor to create a playful space ©Glyn Jarrett

Playful space of pod 4 at East Quay Pods

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Photo of a colourful bathroom shower a shower and toilet taken from the entrance
Photo of a blue tiled bathroom which is DDA compliant for full accessibility
Mezzanine room with mesh net for the floor to create a playful space

The initial idea put forward was one of collaboration, with George and Owen choosing to pick up sticks and move to Watchet, immersing themselves fully within the community. To assist with this unique approach, we were readily available to offer our expertise and technical knowledge to help with the installation of some of our flagship products.

Due to the priceless artwork displayed on rotation within the creative spaces above and below the accommodation pods, a fully tanked waterproofing solution was high on the list of priorities. Pairing this with the innovative design elements required for each individual pod meant that floor build up also needed to be taken into consideration. This is where we stepped in to put together a specification for three of the pods, with East Midlands Ceramics Ltd supplying the Schlüter materials used.

George comments, “A hugely beneficial part of the process was being able to discuss the specification with the Schlüter team, particularly during early design stages. Not only did they provide invaluable support regarding best practice, but they also put us in touch with EMC who supplied many products we used throughout the pod wetrooms.”

The theme of ‘Stories & Imagination’ runs deeply throughout Pod 2, with sketches outlining Watchet’s illustrious history adorning the walls. A DDA-compliant wetroom sits on the lower floor for full accessibility. Due to these requirements, we advised that a point drain would be most suitable and therefore suggested our point drain system as the perfect solution.

Pod 4 focuses on ‘Playful Architecture’ with the designers seamlessly intertwining a stunning living space with exciting tangible elements like a cargo net across the mezzanine for childlike enjoyment. Pod 5 explores the idea of ‘Participatory Art’ with an area showcasing how a space can be transformed with contributions from visiting artists. Both pods needed linear drains, with the architects choosing to install the low height version of shower tray Schlüter-KERDI-SHOWER-LTS and its partnering product, the Schlüter-KERDI-LINE-G3 drain for each. This guaranteed entry level access within the bathroom areas.

Reliable waterproofing was taken care of within the three pods with the help of uncoupling membrane Schlüter-DITRA. The multi-talented product offered many benefits to the project such as crack-bridging, waterproofing and load distribution. George adds, “The versatility of Schlüter’s products made using their full waterproofing system an easy decision to make. It helped us deliver the project to the specification and standard required.”

East Quay and its creative presence has given Watchet and surrounding areas a new lease of life, displaying just how vibrant and welcoming the town and community is. Pulling together unique and thought-provoking design elements with technical know-how was paramount in getting this project off the ground, and we are incredibly proud to have been part of it.

Ein äußerst vorteilhafter Teil des Prozesses war die Möglichkeit, die Ausschreibung mit dem Schlüter-Team zu besprechen, insbesondere in den frühen Entwurfsphasen. Sie boten nicht nur wertvolle Unterstützung in Bezug auf die besten Praktiken, sondern brachten uns auch mit EMC in Kontakt, die viele der Produkte lieferten, die wir in den Feuchträumen verwendeten.

George Williams

Das Thema „Stories & Imagination“ zieht sich wie ein roter Faden durch Pod 2, und Skizzen, die die illustre Geschichte von Watchet umreißen, schmücken die Wände. In der unteren Etage befindet sich eine DDA-konforme Nasszelle, die einen barrierefreien Zugang ermöglicht. Aufgrund dieser Anforderungen riet Schlüter, dass ein Punktablauf am besten geeignet wäre, und schlug daher das Punktablaufsystem Schlüter-KERDI-DRAIN als perfekte Lösung vor.

Pod 4 konzentriert sich auf „spielerische Architektur“, wobei die Designer einen atemberaubenden Lebensraum mit aufregenden, greifbaren Elementen wie einem Frachtnetz über dem Zwischengeschoss für kindliches Vergnügen verknüpften. Pod 5 wiederum erforscht die Idee der „partizipativen Kunst“ mit einem Bereich, der zeigt, wie ein Raum durch Beiträge von Gastkünstlerinnen und -künstlern umgestaltet werden kann. Die Architekten entschieden sich in beiden Pods für die lineare Ablaufrinne Schlüter-KERDI-LINE-G3 in Kombination mit dem Gefälleboard Schlüter-KERDI-SHOWER-LTS. Damit war ein bodenebener Einstieg in die Badbereiche gewährleistet.

Für die zuverlässige Abdichtung innerhalb der drei Pod-Einheiten sorgte die Entkopplungsbahn Schlüter-DITRA. Das Multitalent bot viele Vorteile für das Projekt, wie z. B. Rissüberbrückung, Abdichtung und Lastverteilung.

East Quay und seine kreative Präsenz haben Watchet und den umliegenden Gebieten neues Leben eingehaucht und zeigen, wie lebendig und einladend die Stadt und die Gemeinde sind. Die Verbindung einzigartiger und zum Nachdenken anregender Designelemente mit technischem Know-how war von entscheidender Bedeutung, um dieses Projekt auf den Weg zu bringen, und Schlüter ist unglaublich stolz, daran beteiligt gewesen zu sein.

Die Vielseitigkeit der Produkte von Schlüter machte die Entscheidung für das komplette Abdichtungssystem leicht. Es hat uns geholfen, das Projekt in der geforderten Spezifikation und Qualität zu realisieren.

George Williams

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