An encampment rooted in place and principle
To mark the centenary of the first scout camp on Brownsea Island, the National Trust and the Brownsea Island Scout and Guide Committee set out to create a new outdoor activity centre. The brief was layered and ambitious: honour the spirit of scouting, protect the fragile ecology of this Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), and create a modern, low-carbon facility that could welcome thousands of visitors annually, including families, school groups, and people of all abilities.
The site had no grid connection, no roads, and no services. The budget was tight, the location remote. But the vision was strong: to make something simple, durable, and deeply respectful of both its landscape and legacy.
Winner - RIBA Award
Winner - CIAT Award
Inspired by the form of the original ridgepole tents, we conceived a cluster of timber buildings lightly touching the ground, an encampment of simple, poetic structures gathered around an open activity space. Access, orientation and form were all designed with care. Buildings are carefully stepped into the slope, making them fully accessible via a central deck, while their long shingle roofs shelter indoor and outdoor spaces alike.
Prefabricated, highly insulated timber cassettes rest on removable screw piles, protecting the site and minimising embodied carbon. A wood-burning boiler provides heat and hot water; electricity is generated on site via wind, battery and generator, with solar to follow. Despite severe logistical constraints, the buildings were delivered in phases over eight months, by barge and trailer across the island’s rough track.
The result is an off-grid, low-impact centre that feels rooted in both place and purpose. Every element, from the untreated cedar cladding to the carefully ramped paths, reflects the founding ethos of scouting: tread lightly, live simply, leave no trace.
During the centenary celebrations, over 5,000 visitors passed through the centre. For them, and for generations to come, the project is not just a commemoration, but a living continuation of the values it was built to honour.