OUR DESIGN APPROACH

Three principles underpin our design work.

Firstly, this is a landscape led project. We chose a site like no other, totally surrounded by motorway already. Through careful mounding and planting, we are protecting our site from this existing surrounding infrastructure, whilst also protecting the limited sightlines from nearby locations to the site. We want to create a site which feels as green and natural as possible, so our customers can enjoy the outdoors and we can improve biodiversity. We are working with Planit, local landscape architect practice in Altrincham, which has deep knowledge of the local area and its indigenous species.

Secondly, sustainability is at the heart of the site and building design. From water management and biodiversity, to renewable energy, future fuels and low embodied carbon buildings, our objective is to make this a national exemplar of MSA buildings.

Thirdly, we are creating a collection of buildings in the model of a farmstead, each a design in its own right. We have retained the original farmhouse and are creating new buildings to complement it, agricultural in style but contemporary and crafted out of natural, subtle materials. We are delighted to be working once again with Glenn Howells Architects, whose design for Gloucester Services won a RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) national award – as well as many others including from the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England.

A NEW APPROACH

The arrival layout has been designed to give visitors time to choose their destination in a clear and simple manner.

FUEL BARN

The first building that comes into view on approach is the Fuel Barn. It bears no resemblance to a traditional fuel forecourt: it is multifunctional and adaptable, so we can scale down traditional fuels to be replaced by new innovations as required.

FARMSHOP & KITCHEN

This is our main amenity building for customers.

It houses our Farmshop & Kitchen in a light and airy timbered building. The customer will enter through a beautiful kitchen garden, an enclosed outdoor space which customers can use and in which we will grow herbs, plants and fruits.

HOTEL

A 100-bed hotel with its own personality

Comfortable, yet compact and efficient, rooms will cater for a variety of travellers, including families and pet owners looking to break up long journeys and enjoy relaxing stopovers when travelling.

MATERIALS

A combination of distinctively local, crafted and natural materials.

We are exploring the use of rammed earth as a solution to provide low embodied carbon buildings. This is a material that is made of its place, with earth sourced from the site and surrounding Tatton Estate.

Heavy timber will be an important feature of our buildings, as it is in all our businesses. We are exploring metal roofs and looking at possibilities to integrate the solar panels to create a beautifully designed structure.

Outdoor Spaces

Landscape zones, in the form of field enclosures, have been identified providing separate “parking fields” for each vehicle type, as well as usable outdoor space for visitors. This is a new concept for the MSA industry and is a continuation of the ‘landscape first’ approach reflecting the site’s origins as a farm. An outside space that belonged to the old farmyard is being restored and reinvented as an arrival space, placing a kitchen garden at the heart of Tatton Services.

Following the impact of Covid-19, a greater emphasis has also been placed on providing a range of outdoor spaces. This includes covered seating at the Amenity Building to provide a greater connection with the Kitchen Garden and to provide a secondary offer for those wanting to enjoy a break from the car.

As with the Amenity Building, the Tatton Services Hotel is accessed through the Kitchen Garden, giving visitors a phased experience from the parking fields, to kitchen garden and then the MSA Hotel entrance. The accommodation wings are separated by an attractive landscaped garden that provides a more secluded space private courtyard for MSA Hotel visitors. The MSA Hotel garden creates a relaxing space for visitors, away from the hustle and bustle of the Amenity building.