Our proposal is to make both the cottage and garden the ‘exhibit’ and position the new visitor building so that both cottage and garden can be viewed together as a single picturesque composition. The separation of the ‘exhibit’ from the visitor facilities will improve the quality of both.  This approach will enable both the principle trees around the cottage and the immediate garden setting to be retained and untouched.  The new building will be set back within the shrub area to the south where the existing storage shed is located.   Historical information about the cottage, the wider Broads area and the retail function will be placed in a more spacious, accessible and purpose built building allowing the cottage to stand quietly in its historic setting.
 
The new building will contain an exhibition hall which will be signed as the first point of arrival.  The building will be accessed along a reed like ‘screen’ from the field or from the river moorings and footpaths to the west.  From the field approach, the end of the screen would be just visible over the bank and would sign the pathway to the museum.  The exhibition hall would be a multi functional space for exhibitions and interpretation of the cottage and greater Broads area. It would also contain a small tea room to provide refreshments for visitors. 

The building superstructure, envelope and linings will be made from FSC certified timber which scores an A-rating on the BRE’s Green Guide to Specification
The thermal envelope of the building will house all of the internal spaces under one roof. Treated spaces within this envelope will be isolated further to limit the amount of servicing and space conditioning to those tasks. The building will be passively ventilated for most of the year. On extreme cold days in the winter, a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery will be used to recover 70% of lost heat through ventilation.
Due to the favourable conditions on-site, ground source heating systems are favourable as the moisture content of the soil will ensure a good heat exchange.