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by Imran Jahn on Sep 2, 2025
Design in Motion
Every clubhouse begins as a conversation. Before drawings, before models, before SketchUp or Archicad builds, there’s a moment where a club expresses what it wants to become. At Sutton Churches Tennis Club, that conversation started with a simple question.
What does a modern tennis club need from its home?
Across the UK, clubs are wrestling with the same challenge. Membership is growing, buildings are ageing, and expectations around comfort and sustainability are rising. A pavilion today has to be more than a hut by the courts. It has to perform, welcome, inspire and last.
This blog is about how our design for Sutton Churches Tennis Club has evolved — and how the process might help other clubs planning a new clubhouse of their own.
Work-in-progress view of the new clubhouse terrace, shaped by a single sweeping roof that opens directly onto the courts.
1. Listening First
Before we drew anything, we met players, committee members and volunteers. Everyone described the same issue: the existing pavilion was loved, but it was no longer fit for purpose.
People wanted:
• A larger social space
• A building that works year-round
• Better views of the courts
• Improved accessibility
• Somewhere that feels like the heart of the club
• And crucially: a building that is low-energy and future-proof
Those conversations shaped every sketch that followed.
Front elevation study exploring how the clubhouse connects the social terrace with the courts.
2. Sketch to Strategy
The earliest designs were deliberately loose. We explored forms that could feel grounded in the site while offering generosity and drama where it mattered.
The big shift came when we flipped the logic of the pavilion: instead of designing at the boundary, we designed from the courts outward. The clubhouse became a long, calm viewing edge. A roof that shelters. A soft threshold between play and social life.
The design strategy settled into three pillars:
1. A single sweeping roof
A strong profile that gives the building identity without overpowering the site.
2. A social terrace that works all seasons
Tables under the eaves, views to the courts, and a space that feels active even on quieter days.
3. A low-energy, timber-focused build
Reduced embodied carbon, improved performance, and a pavilion that stays comfortable with minimal energy input.
These pillars guided every iteration.
Side perspective of the clubhouse highlighting the long overhang that shelters spectators and social spaces throughout the year.
3. Why We Use “White-Card” Renders
The images in this article show our design at an early stage. We strip away colour, textures and detail because the form and light are what matter now. It’s how we test proportion, shading, and the feel of a space before material decisions are locked in.
White-card models allow clubs to look at:
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Views from the courts
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Glazing positions
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Size and feel of the terrace
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How people naturally gather
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The internal daylighting strategy
Clubs often tell us these images help them imagine how their members will use the space, not just what it will look like.
4. Designing for Real Club Life
A good clubhouse is less about architecture and more about people.
For Sutton Churches Tennis Club, we’ve shaped the building around the rhythms of a typical day:
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Junior camps in the morning
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League matches in the afternoon
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Social tennis in the evening
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Parents watching from the terrace
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Members grabbing a coffee between sets
This is why the main social room runs along the courts with uninterrupted glazing. Why the roof overhang is deep enough to sit outside during rain. Why the interior is kept simple, warm and adaptable.
A tennis club changes every hour. The building needs to flex with it.
5. What Makes a Low-Energy Tennis Pavilion?
Across the UK, energy costs for clubs have increased dramatically. Designing a low-energy clubhouse is now essential, not optional.
Our developing strategy for Sutton Churches focuses on:
1. Cross-Laminated Timber
Low embodied carbon, excellent structural efficiency, warm interior feel.
2. High-performance glazing + solar shading
Daylight without overheating.
3. MVHR ventilation
Fresh, filtered air with minimal heat loss.
4. Air-source heat pump
Clean, efficient heating and cooling.
5. Highly insulated envelope
Comfortable year-round, even during peak winter tournaments.
These measures typically reduce operational energy by 60–75 percent compared with a standard build.
6. Inside the Clubroom
One of the biggest transformations happens inside. Early tests showed that a vaulted ceiling combined with a long rooflight creates a bright, uplifting social space.
It becomes:
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A gathering room
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A place to host events
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A parents’ base during junior tournaments
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A community hall for off-season use
Inside and outside blend. You feel close to the courts even when you’re not playing.
Interior concept showing the vaulted ceiling and long rooflight designed to bring soft, even daylight into the clubroom.
7. A Pavilion Built to Last 50 Years
Good clubhouse design isn’t about the next season. It’s about the next generation.
We measure longevity in:
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Durability
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Low maintenance
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Energy performance
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Community value
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Beauty
A pavilion should feel like the centre of gravity for a club. A place members feel proud of and visitors remember.
At Sutton Churches Tennis Club, the design continues to evolve, and these work-in-progress visuals capture the journey so far.
Thinking About a New Clubhouse?
Across the UK, many tennis clubs are taking the same step: understanding what their next chapter should look like.
If your club is at the early thinking stage — or wants to see what’s possible with a low-energy approach — we’d be happy to share lessons from Sutton Churches and other sports projects.
→ Email us at architects@risedesignstudio.co.uk
→ Or call the studio on 020 3947 5886
RISE Design Studio, Interior Designers + Sustainability Experts
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