A New Era for Elmwood Lawn Tennis Club

How sustainable materials and prefabrication are shaping one of London’s most forward-thinking tennis clubhouses

Across London and the home counties, tennis clubs are facing a familiar challenge:

How do we create modern clubhouse facilities that are warm, efficient, and welcoming - without shutting down the heart of the club for a year or more?

At Elmwood Lawn Tennis Club in Kensal Rise, that challenge has become an opportunity.
An opportunity to demonstrate how sustainable materials, innovative prefabrication, and thoughtful design can transform what a tennis clubhouse can be - not only in London, but across SE England.

The proposed Elmwood Lawn Tennis Clubhouse, wrapped in hempcrete with a striking green zinc roof, opening onto south-facing terraces.

Elmwood’s proposals show how a new tennis clubhouse can:

• deliver fast, low-disruption construction,

• dramatically reduce operational energy,

• use natural, breathable materials that age gracefully,

• and create a space that feels rooted in landscape and community.

This is a building designed not simply to house matches - but to support the quiet rituals, social rhythms, and shared history that make Elmwood special.

Architecture shaped by nature and tradition

The design of the new clubhouse draws inspiration from classic British pavilions - low, honest, and timber-framed - while introducing a confident, contemporary silhouette.
Its roofline forms a sequence of sculpted ridges and gentle pitches that capture the changing light throughout the day, while its materials speak the language of the surrounding gardens and courts.

From the moment you approach, the building feels open, calm, and anchored. The café spills out beneath wide eaves; shaded terraces encourage spectators to linger; and the structure seems to settle into the tree line rather than fight it.

It is intentionally modest - because genuine community buildings don’t need to shout.
They just need to work beautifully.

A sheltered outdoor terrace beneath the projecting canopy, with a café serving hatch opening directly to the courtside.

Hempcrete walls: a natural, low-carbon solution for a modern club

In the search for the right material for a busy tennis clubhouse, the design returned again and again to hempcrete.

What makes hempcrete uniquely suited to this project?

1. Thermal stability - perfect for a clubhouse that switches between quiet moments and peak activity
Hempcrete’s ability to regulate temperature means the building stays cool in summer, warm in winter, and comfortable during heavy use.

2. Moisture regulation - ideal for changing rooms, showers, and high-traffic social spaces
Unlike traditional blockwork, hempcrete “breathes”, absorbing and releasing moisture naturally.

3. Significantly lower embodied carbon
Hemp captures CO₂ as it grows. Pair that with lime and you get a material that begins life carbon-negative - a rare gift in construction.

4. Beautiful, textured surfaces that feel crafted rather than manufactured
The walls offer a natural warmth that aligns with Elmwood’s landscape and its heritage.

5. Acoustic softness
Speech is softened, impact noise reduced - giving the clubroom a calm, social hum even on busy days.

This is sustainability that you can feel, not simply measure.

The CLT-framed clubroom with circular rooflights and views to the landscape, designed for social events, coaching briefings and community life.

A green zinc roof that belongs to the landscape

Elmwood’s new roof is one of the project’s defining features: a series of green zinc planes that gently rise and fall, echoing the language of historic garden pavilions.

Why choose patinated green zinc?

• Longevity - zinc roofs routinely last 80–100 years.

• Low maintenance - perfect for volunteer-run sports clubs.

• Fully recyclable - zinc is a circular material.

• Visually calm - it nestles into the trees without dominating the skyline.

• Lightweight - ideal for sitting on a CLT structure.

Its colour - a soft, weathered green - feels both contemporary and timeless, sitting lightly in its surroundings and reinforcing the idea of a clubhouse that grows out of the site rather than landing on top of it.

The heritage-inspired entrance hall, celebrating Elmwood’s history with honour boards, archival photography and warm timber finishes.

CLT prefabrication: fast to erect, quiet to build, engineered for accuracy

Speed matters.
Most tennis clubs can tolerate a few months of disruption - but not a year or more.

That’s why the Elmwood proposals use CLT (cross-laminated timber) for the structural frame.

Benefits for a new tennis clubhouse in London or the home counties:

1. Rapid assembly
The prefabricated panels arrive to site in complete sections.
Within the first week, the clubhouse begins to take shape.

2. Quiet and clean construction
CLT erection requires fewer deliveries, fewer trades, and produces far less dust and disturbance - a major advantage in residential neighbourhoods like Kensal Rise.

3. Exceptional airtightness and energy performance
The precision of factory fabrication means fewer gaps, fewer errors, and far better thermal performance.

4. Reduced time in temporary accommodation
Instead of a full season in hired cabins, construction time is significantly compressed - lowering costs and keeping coaching, community events, and tournaments running smoothly.

5. A warm, tactile interior
Exposed CLT trusses give the clubroom a Scandinavian sense of craftsmanship - natural, human, uplifting.

This is architecture for people who love tennis - but also love nature, efficiency, and beautiful material honesty.

The clubroom opening directly to the covered terrace, showing the prefabricated CLT roof structure and outdoor kitchen.

Spaces shaped around community life

The proposals for Elmwood’s new tennis clubhouse are not just about sustainability and speed.
They are about creating a social heart for NW10: a place where families gather, where members chat after matches, where children grow up watching Saturday morning coaching from beneath the eaves.

Key features include:

• A generous clubroom with bi-folding doors connecting directly to a south-facing terrace

• A flexible layout for events of 60-100 people

• A café–bar offering both indoor seating and covered outdoor tables

• Circular rooflights casting natural light into the room throughout the day

• A heritage-themed entrance hall showcasing Elmwood’s history

• Changing rooms designed with robust, breathable materials

• Visual connections to the courts, letting social life and sport overlap naturally

• Landscaping that guides members from gate to terrace in one continuous sweep

Everything is designed to feel intuitive, social, and welcoming.

It’s a place where children read their names on honour boards, where older members share stories on long summer evenings, where the rituals of tennis - friendly competition, generosity, sportmanship - are given an architectural home.

Afternoon light filtering beneath the canopy of the new clubhouse, creating warm shaded spaces for spectators and families.

A blueprint for sustainable tennis clubs across SE England

From Surrey to Hertfordshire to Buckinghamshire, clubs are facing similar pressures: ageing buildings, rising energy costs, and membership expectations shaped by modern sports facilities.

Elmwood’s proposal demonstrates a new model:

• Low-energy performance reduces running costs.

• Low-carbon materials reduce environmental impact.

• Prefabrication reduces construction time.

• Natural finishes create calm, uplifting spaces.

• Durable materials extend the building’s life to the next generation.

This isn't just a replacement clubhouse.
It’s a demonstration of how tennis clubs across the region can build better - smarter, cleaner, faster.

Building for the future

At RISE, we believe that building a new tennis clubhouse isn’t merely a functional upgrade.
It’s an investment in community spirit.
In wellbeing.
In the quiet places where sport and social life meet.

Elmwood Lawn Tennis Club’s new pavilion embodies this philosophy:
a building that rises lightly from the landscape, performs beautifully, and belongs deeply to its members.

Thinking about upgrading your tennis club’s facilities - in London or the home counties?
Let’s talk about sustainable, fast-build, low-energy solutions for your clubhouse.

→ Email us at architects@risedesignstudio.co.uk
→ Or call the studio on 020 3947 5886

RISE Design Studio, Architects, Interior Designers + Sustainability Experts

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