Mark Wray Architects have won an open design competition to design a visitor hub for an ancient forest site in Surrey, England.

The firm’s design for the project – which will be located in 640 acre Langley Vale Wood – was described by judges from the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and Britain’s Woodland Trust as an “imaginative and beautiful scheme that demonstrates well how mankind and nature can co-exist.”

Mark Wray’s vision is inspired by fallen trees, which play a vital role in the woodland ecosystem as rich microhabitats for insects, birds, fungi and lichens.

“Our proposal seeks to represent the qualities of deadwood by creating conditions to encourage wildlife to inhabit defined spaces, which would be observed and studied by the building’s visitors, alongside its practical function as a visitor facility,” said Mark Wray.

RIBA adviser Sarah Wigglesworth commented: “This project has been a great opportunity for a new practice to realise a highly visible public building. The selected design is highly imaginative, simple, practical and of its place, while clearly communicating the ethos of the Woodland Trust.”

The architects will now work with the Trust to develop their design and submit a planning application.

Langley Vale Wood was formerly used as a training site for British soldiers during the First World War and the Trust has designated the area as one of four Centenary Woods in the UK, which will be protected and developed to provide a living tribute to those who lost their lives in the conflict.

MORE Design and Studio Octopi were also shortlisted in the visitor hub competition, which received 250 submissions.