The Dartford Dojo, Make’s first completed building, provides Dartford Judo Club with unparalleled facilities which will be used during the London 2012 Olympics. Designed and built to an extremely exacting brief and tight budget, this project was inspired by the judo philosophy of achieving maximum gain with minimum effort, resulting in a building which is highly efficient in terms of construction, performance and maintenance.

An elegantly simple pavilion houses training areas, changing facilities, club rooms and a dojo with a 200-seat gallery viewing area. The main entrance is marked by a dramatic feature: a stainless steel mesh descends from a projecting canopy to meet a slab of chalk-aggregated concrete lying parallel to the building facade.

With time, rainwater trickling down the steel mesh will gradually erode the chalk, which has been sourced from the site, thereby illustrating the key principle of softness overcoming hardness. A restrained palette of materials creates a calm interior, and the emphasis on transparency and openness underscores the accessible nature of this key community resource.