Sandilands toilet block beach hut wins architecture award

The beach hut, which cost about £30,000, is built on top of a former public convenience

A £30,000 beach hut built on top of a seaside toilet block has won a prestigious architecture award.

The hut, at Sandilands, near Sutton on Sea, scooped an award for architectural excellence from the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).

Owner Tim Spring said he was delighted with the award, especially as the hut had met with some opposition at the planning stage.

He said he now planned to take on another project elsewhere.

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The hut's owner said he had started inviting people in to enjoy the view

The project involved overhauling a former public toilet block on the Lincolnshire coast - revamping the existing building, and adding a rooftop beach hut.

"It had a controversial starting point, there was quite a lot of opposition [to it]," Mr Spring said.

However, he said people were now warming to the hut, which features views across the North Sea, with many taking selfies outside.

He said he had started inviting people in to have a look at the the view from inside the 17-sq-m structure.

The hut, which lights up at dusk due to it partly being made from translucent polycarbonate, also features a storage area, located in the old toilet block.

The hut sits alongside more traditional seaside structures

The hut won the Riba Small Project of the Year award in the East Midlands

Mr Spring, who was born and bred in Lincolnshire, said he had worked with a county-based firm of architects and a local builder.

He said he planned to work with them again on a new project.

The hut won the Riba Small Project of the Year award in the East Midlands.

It will now go forward to be considered for national honours.