Lifeboat Station, Bembridge

Stoneham Construction was selected by the RNLI to rebuild their on shore life boat station at Bembridge on the Isle of Wight. The design was by Alan Culshaw Associates. The existing building, parts of which dated back to the nineteenth century, which had to be preserved, also included leasehold sections to Southern Water who maintained a ventilation system to large underground storage tanks through the RNLI building, and to Southern Electric who housed a large transformer in their section. Utmost skill was required not to disturb these facilities, whilst at the same time demolishing the old, installing a deep bored ground source heat pump, and a new piled foundation for the new boat hall.

Old sections of the building were protected and preserved and a new building gradually erected all around them. The finished building is protected by sustainably sourced Siberian Larch, machined to a unique profile for the RNLI to give years of low maintenance life to the building, as well as looking great. Other sections of walls have a silicone through render system, to give lasting protection from the harsh salt and moisture laden air coming off the sea. The finished building includes a boat hall, changing rooms for the lifeboat men, a training room above, together with an office and a new shop.