The Bustardthorpe Development York Racecourse

Location: York

Brick Manufacturer: York Handmade Brick Company

Brick Name: Bustardthorpe Blend 65mm

Architect: Dawson Williamson Architects

Brickwork Contractor: Keith Walton Brickwork

The Bustardthorpe Development was designed and constructed in accordance with the ambitious strategy and action plan of Green Knavesmire 300, York Racecourse's commitment to sustainability. The commitment is embedded in the belief from everyone working within York racecourse that they are custodians of the land and the buildings and therefore have a duty to take care of the environment and its place in the local community.
For this reason, every aspect of the design and build was considered to have the lowest possible environmental impact, from energy creation to water use, materials and the team needed to build it. It was particularly important to use local suppliers including 70,000 locally thrown handmade clay bricks, both to support the local economy and reduce emissions through transport.

Green Knavesmire 300 focuses on a commitment to reach Net Zero by 2040, embedding circularity, taking care of the ecosystem around the site and reducing the reliance on mains water. The stand therefore presented an opportunity to deliver on every aspect of this in measurable ways, from solar panels to rainwater harvesting, reusing topsoil and aggregate and the inclusion of a green roof. The Bustardthorpe Development embodies everything York Racecourse are looking to, and determined to, achieve in the next 15 years.

The design of the Bustardthorpe Development stands on a fundamentally sustainable foundation in the form of the ‘adapt and re-use’ principle where buildings where retained and upgraded using ‘fabric first’ approach wherever possible. Where down-taking was unavoidable materials where salvaged for re-use on site with concrete foundations being crushed and used for back-filling and brickwork / masonry being re-claimed and re-used in the new boundary walls which enclose the Bustardthrope Lawn.
The design is relatively ‘low tech’ with simple, sustainably sourced materials such as York Handmade clay brickwork and Douglas Fir plywood being specified not only as external facing materials but also as internal finishes instead of gypsum based products.
The facilities are naturally ventilated where possible but a high volume of people use the spaces during racing and cutting edge technology was designed to in the form of a Building Management System which allows adaptive control of essential mechanical systems to respond to ever changing atmospheric requirements.
The project is currently in the process of being judged in the York Design Awards ‘Sustainability’ category.

The project was built ‘for purpose’ following a number of workshops with the Racecourse Management Team which took place between 1999 and 2023.
A number of meetings were held with key stakeholders including City of York Council throughout 2023 and the racecourse members / racegoers and local residents were kept consulted during racing events and the regularly community meetings which are hosted by the racecourse.
A collaborative approach to design was followed with the locally based design team regularly meeting with the locally based contractors to ensure that aspirations relating to materials and detailing were aligned with the local supply chain and circular economic principles of the Green Knavesmire 300 strategy. 

“The Bustardthorpe development is doing exactly what we set out for it to do. It hits the energy performance benchmarks we planned, and it’s built to work hard on a race day but run efficiently and use very little energy the rest of the year. Smart building controls help with that, and the solar panels generate power for the area too.
It’s gone down well with visitors and locals alike. We host community meetings on site to show local residents round and talk about what we’re doing. The living roof has been a real favourite – full of flowers, fed by water from our borehole. It’s not just for show – it helps with insulation and keeps the racecourse looking good year-round.”
The response of Gavin Pattison, York Racecourse Facilities Manager when this question was posed to him.

The Bustardthorpe Development was designed and constructed in accordance with the ambitious strategy and action plan of Green Knavesmire 300, York Racecourse's commitment to sustainability. The commitment is embedded in the belief from everyone working within York racecourse that they are custodians of the land and the buildings and therefore have a duty to take care of the environment and its place in the local community.
Green Knavesmire 300 focuses on a commitment to reach Net Zero by 2040, embedding circularity, taking care of the ecosystem around the site and reducing the reliance on mains water. The Bustardthorpe Development embodies everything York Racecourse are looking to, and determined to, achieve in the next 15 years.