National College for High Speed Rail
A new special education and training college dedicated to the future of the UK’s rail industry
Case Study6 min read
The Windermere Jetty – Museum of Boats, Steam and Stories offers a unique visitor experience, combining a diverse collection of historic boats, live conservation workshops, and high-quality architecture. The building has been constructed by Thomas Armstrong and was named Design of the Year and Cultural Project of the Year at the 2019 AJ Architecture Awards.
In developing the design, the architects were keen to do justice to the rich social history contained within the museum and its stunning lakeside location. Following an extensive study of cladding materials and how they would respond to the challenging Lake District climate, they selected a corrugated oxidised copper cladding for the rainscreen façade and roof.
LOCATIONWindermere, UK
The sustainability of the museum was priority and the buildings were oriented to maximise natural light. They were also designed to be highly energy efficient, using Kooltherm K15 Rainscreen Board for the walls and Thermapitch TP10 for the roof.
The Kooltherm K15 Rainscreen boards allowed the design team to achieve excellent fabric performance for the walls of the museum. Its lightweight design also streamlined the installation process in the challenging lakeside setting. The outer copper cladding will gently patina over time, adding green hues to the dark brown cladding.
The museum’s pitched roof has been created to echo the form of many of the local boat houses. Thermapitch TP10 was a natural choice for this element. Its fibre-free insulation core has a thermal conductivity of 0.022 W/mK and has been specifically developed for use within a variety of pitched warm roof constructions.
Images: Christian Richters
Page updated 11/08/2025
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