For many years, as visitors approached Rye from the Hastings direction, one of the first buildings they saw was a derelict warehouse – an eyesore that felt far from fitting for such a historic town. Over the past year, however, that view has been transformed. In its place now stands an elegant, proud and architecturally striking building, offering a far warmer and more fitting welcome to Rye.
Rob Pollard, co-director of RX Architects talks about the journey from Rye Creative Centre to Coal Yard.
What prompted the move to your new riverside office, and why does it feel like the right time? We started RX Architects in 2016, so the move to the new office has coincided with our tenth year in business. Over that time we have been fortunate enough to work with some great people on a wide range of interesting and fun projects.
Tell us about your journey from Rye Creative Centre to your new home. We started at the Rye Creative Centre (RCC), which has been home for us since we founded the practice. We thoroughly enjoyed our time at RCC, and especially all the fantastic artists who made it an enjoyable place to work. As our team grew, we moved into more spaces at RCC over the years and the move to the new office will take some adjustment.
Was it always an ambition to design and build your own office? We always wanted to design and build our own office, even before we had started RXA. When we set up the business we chose to name the practice after the boat code for Rye and Hastings (RX), rather than naming it after ourselves, as we feel that we, and our projects, have a real connection to Rye. The RX link, however, makes the location of the new office, directly on the river front, even more fitting.
How did the opportunity to acquire the former Gristmill site come about? Ironically, we had worked for several previous owners on residential development schemes at the site previously known as The Gristmill, so when it became clear that these developments were unlikely to come to fruition and that the land might become available, we decided the time was right. The site location, but also the build and project, seemed an ideal fit for us.
The Gristmill is now known as Coal Yard. Why the change of name? We chose to rename the site and building. The previous name The Gristmill was most commonly linked to its previous use as a pine furniture warehouse, but in more recent years it had become a bit of an eyesore on an important approach into Rye – so we decided a new name was needed. The historic maps of the area (and a helpful suggestion from several people in Rye) show links to the previous use of this particular stretch of the river as coal yards. We found a number of articles and historic photos showing boats lining up on the river delivering coal to the land on and around the site, so we thought this was a fitting nod to the history of this part of the river.
Why was it important to retain and reuse the existing structure? We wanted to re-use the concrete frame which has stood on the site for over 50 years. Re-use of existing buildings is something we enjoy; it brings its own challenges, but more often than not re-purposing something is also a more sustainable and a low-energy approach to take. A similar example is Tillingham Winery where we converted various farm buildings into the new winery, restaurant, shop and hotel.
How does the building reflect RX Architects’ environmental values? As one of the first 20 architects’ practices in the UK to achieve B-corp status, we were keen that the office build reflected these values. First and foremost the key strategy was to re-use the structure of the building to minimise waste. We used local contractors and suppliers on the build, with all of whom we regularly work on our projects. We have installed air source heat pumps to heat and cool the building, along with solar panels to help offset our energy demands. The building is now very well insulated, with triple glazed windows and it uses various natural and recycled materials.
What is B-corp status? B-Corp certification validates architecture firms that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability. It is becoming a prominent benchmark in the built environment, signalling that a practice balances profit with purpose by prioritizing employees, local communities, and the planet.
Now that you’re settled in, what is next for RX Architects? We are already settling in well to the new office, and enjoying the space, whilst continuing our work on more exciting projects. These include a rural conversion of agricultural buildings into a mixed arts community, work with a well-known winery in the South Downs, several contemporary family homes, and a high end beachfront development in Sandgate.
Image Credits: Kt bruce .
What is an “eyesore” is very subjective…
I find that old or even derelict buildings usually have qualities of their own that modern architects seem unable to capture, jor the stories they tell.. The main quality missing from virtually all modern constructions is “Charm”.
That isreplaced by relentless, unforgiving rectangularity, painfully sharp corners, repetitivness of regular shapes and a total lack of natural, soft, distinguishing or irregular features.
Go to any modern part of a town or city and you will be trapped in a world that is totally made of rectangles, triangles and occasional circles where irregularity is absolutely not tolerated, apart from the sanctuary of a tree or parks which provide relief to the unrelenting, monumentally unimaginative blandness of modern architecture.
What I like about the new building on the Strand is that the lack of redeeming features has been hidden behind a layer of midnight black (instead of the usual council grey) in tribute to its historical surroundings.
Note that the “Architects” of the planned new Supermarket opposite seem to have chosen to retain the most unimaginative colour of all, depressive council grey, for their tin and brick block.
Now imagine if they were to use the same colour as the trees, to at least blend the box in with vegetation. Again, note a complete absence of natural, irregular features to distinguish it from any other carbuncle of urban blandness.
I am hoping that the newest building techniques, like large-scale 3D printing or designing walls to take vegetation and a new generation of architects taught to be imaginative will turn around the aesthetic demise of modern architecture.
I think the new building is perfect for its location. I live on Winchelsea Road and regularly walk into the town on the footpath by the river. I retired many years ago, having worked in offices in the City of London where I had limited views of the outside world. I would have loved to work in this location and wish the company every success for the future.
Love the transformation for this location and so pleased that a local business has made such a success of this space, not surprised to be honest, good for RX, well done.
Wasn’t it originally built as the workshop for the garage?
I would imagine that as far back as anyone can remember the coal yard was next door, remember when it was Hawksfields and then later Corrals.
My Dad worked there for many years and ended up much the same as a lot of miners.
It was, then a pine place
It certainly is a nice building now, just a shame the derilct site was allowed to be such an eyesore for nearly two decades, just like the Adelaide and adjacent land,in ferry road,which has now become Ryes next eyesore, for another decade or two.
My memory may well be faulty, I thought the site was the Jet petrol station? The coal yard was next door. Then a gap, then the Rye Model Laundry on some of the site which is now the River Haven Hotel. Anyone have a photo?
As I recall the (Tollgate?) garage was on the south corner of New Winchelsea Road and Rye Harbour Road, now a residential block.
I can confirm that because I worked there part-time after school for some time.
I think petrol used to be about 70p a gallon and our hourly pay was similar…
Yes Kate, it was a Jet petrol station for many years and as Tony said the RX building was the workshops for the garage at one time before becoming a pine furniture workshop. The Tollgate garage Tim refers to was a separate business at the Harbour Road junction. The RX building is adjacent to the coal yard, now a car park, the site it occupies was most likely part of the quayside area used for unloading coal from boats for use at the gas plant behind Strand Fish and Chips so the name choice is probably the best option for the offices to retain some local relevance. Calling it the Old Mechanics Workshop doesn’t have quite the same ring to it
The Pump House could further fuel the argument?
I’m failing to understand the use of the word “elegant” … an improvement, yes, but “elegant”?
Andrew McLaren De gustibus et coloribus non disputandum est.
Upambaji huo wa nje ni mzuri na wa kuvutia kama vile ule gauni dogo jeusi na glavu ndefu alizovaa Audrey Hepburn katika filamu ya Breakfast at Tiffany’s.