Carmody Groarke were selected as winners of the competition

Burgh Island is a 26-acre tidal island located 300 metres off the South Devon coast near Bigbury-on-Sea, and home to the famous Grade II Listed hotel of the same name

The competition followed the private invitation route, with four firms selected to develop design proposals to complement the extraordinary setting of the exposed site, with its views across the Bantham Estuary and the hotel’s Mermaid Pool - the seawater pool that provides hotel guests with a private beach and bracing outdoor swimming area. Teams were also required to carefully consider the proposed engineering approach, since it will form an integral part of the project’s successful realisation.

Carmody Groarke, with consulting structural engineers Price & Myers, were selected as winners, as their proposal was felt to provide a poetic response that would make a positive contribution to the landscape and drama of the setting, whilst providing an appropriately unforgettable and luxurious experience for guests.

‘’This is a dream project - a luxury retreat in a breath-taking coastal setting! The client deserves great credit for choosing the competition process for a relatively small private project and has been rewarded with an intriguing variety of schemes from the shortlisted teams, selected from a strong long list of both established and emerging practices. The winning design will create a restrained but sensuously uplifting place for guests to take delight in this stunning location’’.

Jonathan McDowell, Matter Architecture, acting as the RIBA Architect Adviser