The quarry was earmarked by the States in May for water storage in order to safeguard the island’s future drinking water supply. Current tenants Ronez are due to move out in around 2034.
The visionary design concept evolved after management at architects the Drawing Room gave work experience student, Oli Coupe, an imaginary brief to envision what housing could look like in the quarry after it is decommissioned.
Founder and director Rachel Rogers said the idea to explore the future of the quarry came from an existing client.
‘We often explore fictional concepts with Oli when he returns to us during university breaks, and this time a client from South Africa shared an inspiring example with us,’ she said. ‘They had transformed a disused quarry into a vibrant development with housing, a marina, and recreational facilities. That conversation sparked the thought – what about Les Vardes quarry? The more we considered it, the more excited we became about the possibilities, so we set Oli to work on the concept.’
The final design concept included 70 dwellings spread over four terraced blocks which blend into the jagged forms of the quarry, with terraces for each home providing outdoor space.
Each dwelling is serviced by an inclinator elevator, providing access even on the slopes of the quarry.
The housing is accompanied by a wide variety of recreational activities centred around an artificial lake formed by partially filling the quarry and there is also space for restaurants, bars and a convenience store.
‘Our aim was to create a balance – fusing contemporary architecture with nature and we were absolutely delighted with the final outcome,’ said Mrs Rogers.
‘Under our guidance, Oli gave the project his all, carrying out a detailed site analysis, shadow studies, and even assessing potential impacts on local wildlife. We carefully designed the spacing of the units to allow for planting and natural habitats to flourish between the development blocks.’
Student Oli is about to start his third year of an architecture degree at Cardiff University and hopes to become a chartered architect.
‘I particularly enjoyed finding solutions to the unique challenges of designing a project on such an unconventional site,’ he said. ‘I also enjoyed the design freedom that an unconstrained conceptual project can provide which allowed me to unleash my creativity to the fullest.’
Mrs Rogers said that although this was just a design concept, the project was actually entirely feasible.
‘With the right engineers and forward-thinking specialists, this project could be a real triumph,’ she said. ‘In fact, the quarry’s sheer scale means it could accommodate far more homes than the 70 units we proposed in our concept. The potential is enormous.
‘The reaction from our social media posts has been overwhelmingly positive – around 99% of the public response has been encouraging. The only hesitation has been a sense of “this will never happen because it’s Guernsey” which really highlights a perception that the island struggles with forward-thinking, progressive ideas for growth.’
She added that the island needed to come up with a few radical ideas to sort out its housing problem.
‘The States has already indicated that multi-storey housing is the way forward in carefully chosen areas, where developments can integrate with the landscape without impacting Guernsey’s skyline. Les Vardes quarry is a perfect example of this – vertical housing could be introduced here without disrupting views, while creating an opportunity for futuristic, sustainable living. It’s a chance to deliver homes with a genuine community feel, surrounded by water and nature, offering an outlook unlike anything else on the island.’
Among the admirers was Policy & Resources president Lindsay de Sausmarez, whose committee has said housing supply is one of their priorities.
‘It’s an inspirational vision,’ she said. ‘While there are a range of factors that would make it a challenge to deliver, I absolutely applaud Oli’s creative and out-of-the-box thinking and his clear focus on the efficient use of space and quality of life, making the most of natural resources.’
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