Porter Robson is developing a new collection of seven flexible commercial and industrial units, creating contemporary workspace within a prominent waterfront setting overlooking the wider coastal landscape.

Formerly part of HMS Osprey Royal Naval Air Station, it sits within the wider Osprey Quay regeneration area and has long been identified for employment development. Its exposed marine setting, proximity to the harbour and relationship with the neighbouring Sailing Academy give the site a character very different from a conventional inland business park.

The scheme responds with two simple terraces of workspace, providing seven independently accessible units arranged around a clear parking and servicing area. The current concept divides the accommodation between four units within The Chandlery and three within The Saltworks.

The architectural language is deliberately robust and straightforward, reflecting the practical requirements of modern commercial space while responding to the site's maritime context. Vertically profiled metal cladding, dark-framed glazing and large sectional loading doors create a disciplined industrial rhythm across the elevations, while different cladding tones and strong accent colours distinguish the two terraces and give individual units an immediately recognisable identity.

Rather than disguising the industrial nature of the development, the design uses repetition, colour and proportion to turn its functional requirements into part of the architecture. The Chandlery adopts a lighter cladding palette with orange accents, while The Saltworks is expressed in a deeper blue-green finish with yellow loading doors—colours that reinforce the development's relationship with the sea, harbour and working maritime landscape.

The two buildings are also subtly shaped by the site. Low, simple roof forms and carefully controlled massing maintain a strong horizontal relationship with the shoreline, while the arrangement preserves openness between the buildings and allows the development to sit comfortably within the exposed coastal setting. The elevations continue the broader architectural character established at Osprey Quay, where lightweight cladding, simple building forms and large areas of glazing respond to both commercial use and the marine environment.

Operational requirements have been considered as part of the design from the outset. Parking, loading and vehicle manoeuvring are integrated within a straightforward site layout, with electric vehicle charging infrastructure incorporated across the development. The current site plan provides active charging alongside provision for future EV expansion, allowing the scheme to adapt as demand increases.

Environmental performance is further supported through roof-mounted photovoltaic panels, using the extensive roof areas to generate renewable electricity and reduce operational energy demand. The exposed coastal location makes durability equally important, with the material strategy suited to a severe marine environment where robustness and ease of maintenance are fundamental considerations. The earlier planning work for the site similarly identified the marine exposure as a defining characteristic of the location.

This project applies the same principles seen in Porter Robson's other employment projects, flexibility, clarity, durability and strong architectural identity. The result is intended to provide practical contemporary workspace while reinforcing the working and maritime character of Portland's waterfront.

North Shore

Client:

Private

Year:

2026

Porter Robson is developing a new collection of seven flexible commercial and industrial units, creating contemporary workspace within a prominent waterfront setting overlooking the wider coastal landscape.

Formerly part of HMS Osprey Royal Naval Air Station, it sits within the wider Osprey Quay regeneration area and has long been identified for employment development. Its exposed marine setting, proximity to the harbour and relationship with the neighbouring Sailing Academy give the site a character very different from a conventional inland business park.

The scheme responds with two simple terraces of workspace, providing seven independently accessible units arranged around a clear parking and servicing area. The current concept divides the accommodation between four units within The Chandlery and three within The Saltworks.

The architectural language is deliberately robust and straightforward, reflecting the practical requirements of modern commercial space while responding to the site's maritime context. Vertically profiled metal cladding, dark-framed glazing and large sectional loading doors create a disciplined industrial rhythm across the elevations, while different cladding tones and strong accent colours distinguish the two terraces and give individual units an immediately recognisable identity.

Rather than disguising the industrial nature of the development, the design uses repetition, colour and proportion to turn its functional requirements into part of the architecture. The Chandlery adopts a lighter cladding palette with orange accents, while The Saltworks is expressed in a deeper blue-green finish with yellow loading doors—colours that reinforce the development's relationship with the sea, harbour and working maritime landscape.

The two buildings are also subtly shaped by the site. Low, simple roof forms and carefully controlled massing maintain a strong horizontal relationship with the shoreline, while the arrangement preserves openness between the buildings and allows the development to sit comfortably within the exposed coastal setting. The elevations continue the broader architectural character established at Osprey Quay, where lightweight cladding, simple building forms and large areas of glazing respond to both commercial use and the marine environment.

Operational requirements have been considered as part of the design from the outset. Parking, loading and vehicle manoeuvring are integrated within a straightforward site layout, with electric vehicle charging infrastructure incorporated across the development. The current site plan provides active charging alongside provision for future EV expansion, allowing the scheme to adapt as demand increases.

Environmental performance is further supported through roof-mounted photovoltaic panels, using the extensive roof areas to generate renewable electricity and reduce operational energy demand. The exposed coastal location makes durability equally important, with the material strategy suited to a severe marine environment where robustness and ease of maintenance are fundamental considerations. The earlier planning work for the site similarly identified the marine exposure as a defining characteristic of the location.

This project applies the same principles seen in Porter Robson's other employment projects, flexibility, clarity, durability and strong architectural identity. The result is intended to provide practical contemporary workspace while reinforcing the working and maritime character of Portland's waterfront.