Sunspot Jaywick Sands, Tendring District Council Essex property, Modern English building images

Sunspot, Jaywick Sands, Essex Property

1 August 2025

Design: HAT Projects

Location: Jaywick Sands, Essex, Southeast England, UK

Photos by Jim Stephenson unless noted otherwise

RIBA Client of the Year 2025 Shortlist News

This architecture project is one of the six:

2025 RIBA Client of the Year Shortlist

Sunspot, Jaywick Sands, Essex

Sunspot by HAT Projects

Jury citation:

Funded and operated by Tendring District Council, Sunspot stands at a prominent beachfront location on Jaywick Sands, Essex, that was previously the site of an amusement arcade. The new building recreates memories of fun with bold graphics, strong colours and welcoming space for all, including a multifunctional market hall, a café and spacious public toilets. The architects describe it as a ‘joyful landmark’, and it really is just that.

Jaywick Sands is one of the more deprived areas of the UK, with high unemployment. It is a tough environment both socially and physically – a seaside promenade in an area with a high (Level 3) flood risk. The project is very much ‘of Essex’, of this place, and it delivers with confidence something quirky, tough and bold.

The architects have taken the industrial aesthetic and then carefully played with some well-detailed components to create something to inspire the local community: projecting canopies, shelter for the bus stop, zigzag roof and opaque panels for the market. It is all quite robust and sensible, economical and restrained, with simple fittings but with splashes of colour. The flood risk informed design decisions on details and on placing equipment above ground level. The design also envisages the possibility of disassembly and relocation should this be required.

In view of the seaside location and flood risk, only a 20-year design life was proposed. Although this means that on paper the building may appear more carbon hungry than other schemes, the reality is likely to be more favourable, as its structure comes across as sturdy enough to last longer. The project efficiently delivers good-quality, low-cost start-up offices and workspace, ready to walk into. A variety of unit sizes are on offer, all with good daylight, security and accessibility as well as individual meter servicing to encourage reduced energy usage. On the day the jury visited, all but one of the units were fully let – a fact of which the building management were rightly proud. The range of unit sizes and low rental costs have allowed them to incubate various new businesses.

Photo by Maddie Persent

Some of these have already grown and moved into larger units as they have become available. With more funding there might perhaps have been more landscaping opportunities, but this is already a major upgrade from a standard industrial unit. The project is a thoughtful solution, well executed, good value, inspiring and attracting local people to use it as their place with care. The client team are to be commended for their commitment to the task, meeting all their business key performance indicators and supporting growth in this community. Together with the architects, they have produced a model regeneration product that should be an exemplar for local authorities trying to bring communities together while fostering new businesses – especially those by the seaside.

Sunspot, Jaywick Sands, Essex, southeast England information / images received from the RIBA 010825

Location: Jaywick Sands, Essex, south east England, UK.

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