| Title: | Welsh Wildlife Centre |  |
| Year: | 1995 |
| Client: | The Wildlife Trust of South & West Wales |
Following a design competition, the practice was commissioned to create a visitor centre for the Teifi Marshes Nature Reserve. The brief was to provide an all-weather building that would be sensitive to its situation, sustainable in design and energy efficient in operation. The team located the Centre on an escarpment overlooking the reed beds that form the focus of the nature reserve, but the building is not intrusive. It is largely concealed by the incline and its footprint is small. The building's ‘backbone’ is formed by a robustly detailed, curved ‘range’ which follows the topography of the escarpment. Exhibition, shop and restaurant areas are accommodated in a dramatic double-storey glass volume with spectacular vistas. School facilities are located in the lowest level of the building, which is formed from a battered slate plinth. The team used contrasts in the design to surprise and delight visitors and to echo the special qualities of the landscape.
| Title: | Castell Henllys |  |
| Year: | 1995 |
| Client: | Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority |
Castell Henllys is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and one of many prehistoric forts in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park dating to approximately 600BC. The education centre for children at Castell Henllys provides a transition between the ancient and modern with an unobtrusive, simple 'green building', which aims to convey a handmade feel and to help children's understanding of the Iron Age site. To minimise the building's impact, it is set into an existing embankment with gently pitched grass roofs, random rubble rear walls and a lightweight timber structure.
| Title: | The American Ambassador's Residence |  |
| Year: | 2000 |
| Client: | American Government |
Winfield House is situated in 12 acres of Regent's Park. Built in 1933 for Barbara Hutton, the Woolworth's heiress, the house was donated to the American Government in 1954 and is now the official residence of the American Ambassador to the Court of St. James. The practice has completed a major £20m refurbishment of the house, the grounds and all of the ancillary buildings, undertaking the survey work, leading the design team and acting as project managers for the construction contract. The work, which was completed on time and on budget, involved external repair works, the replacement of all mechanical and electrical services, and the re-planning and restoration of the large reception rooms. This entailed the removal, storage and reinstatement of thousands of priceless furnishings and mementos, including three layers of eighteenth-century Chinese ricepaper wall coverings.
| Title: | St. Ethelburga's Centre for Reconciliation & Peace |  |
| Year: | 2002 |
| Client: | Trustees of St. Ethelburga's Centre |
This Grade I listed medieval church was all but destroyed by the Bishopgate bomb of April 1993. At first it seemed beyond repair. Following a design competition, the practice was appointed to undertake the exacting labour of conservation, repair and renewal. The team devised a scheme to repair the standing remains and rebuild a place of worship from the collected fragments. The aim was to preserve the historic and aesthetic value of the church whilst bearing witness to its turbulent history. Working closely with archaeologists, the team began the painstaking task of identifying and reinstating the original fabric. The greatest challenge was to reconstruct the western arch, which was rebuilt to incorporate a slight twist in the standing remains. Salvaged stones and a traditional timber centering were used, pushing the boundaries of conservation engineering to the limits. A contemporary steel and frameless glass structure was incorporated into the south aisle to house a new Centre for Reconciliation & Peace. The striking fusion of ancient and modern provides a fitting backdrop for the Centre's work. The practice's role in resurrecting this historic church has been recognized with a number of awards.
| Title: | Danson House |  |
| Year: | 2003 |
| Client: | English Heritage |
Built by Robert Taylor between 1762 and 1767, Danson House is a Grade I listed Palladian villa. Left empty in the 1970s, it was suffering from structural failure, leaking roofs, timber decay and infestation, and was on English Heritage's Buildings at Risk register. English Heritage commissioned the practice to carry out a £4m refurbishment, comprising structural repair, stonework conservation, the removal of decay and infestation, the installation of a permanent roof covering in Westmorland slate and the reinstatement of the principal interiors. The most opulent room is the octagonal saloon. When the practice started work, the plaster was bare and the fixtures were missing. Now it is covered in bold blue paper embellished with Chinoiserie motifs - the nearest match to the original pattern. The paper is matched with a beautifully refined plaster ceiling comprising eight radial panels around a central rosette.
| Title: | Greatwater Boathouse |  |
| Year: | 2004 |
| Client: | Private Client |
Situated on the banks of Hanworth Broad, this intriguing building was constructed on three brick vaults from a 19th-century boathouse. The project presented the team with several challenges. The setting, a Site of Special Scientific Interest lying within a historic 18th-century park, was very sensitive, and the main structure of the old boathouse was thought to have been lost in the early-20th century, so any new intervention required careful thought. The practice established a good working relationship with the local authority, and the scheme was supported by the community. The team's understanding of sensitive sites, their technical expertise and sympathetic design were crucial for securing planning consent. Great care was taken to ensure that the boathouse was built as economically and sustainably as possible. The structure, erected on site in just two days, is a green oak frame, and the roof was thatched with Norfolk reeds by a local thatcher. The Boathouse has a composting toilet draining to a reed bed, a borehole for water, natural wool insulation and a wood burning stove. It is used as an artist’s studio.
| Title: | Royal Naval Hospital |  |
| Year: | 2004 |
| Client: | Kit Martin Esq |
The Royal Naval Hospital's magnificent terraces, built between 1800 and 1811, enclose a rare example of a car-free Georgian square. The practice was commissioned to prepare a masterplan for the redevelopment of the 15-acre site as a residential complex and acted as Lead Consultant for the works. The team decided to retain the historic buildings and maximize the opportunity they offered for a variety of unique houses and apartments. By avoiding the need for an extensive new development, the scheme safeguarded the integrity of the historic buildings and their setting. Research and investigative works were carried out to unpick the various building components on site and gain approval to demolish the modern additions. External repairs and conservation works were then carried out in addition to large-scale landscaping to accommodate new services and utilities. The team worked closely with the developer to preserve the Hospital's fabric and character, and great care was taken to subdivide the buildings into houses and apartments with minimal intervention. The development is a testament to the practice's ability to transform historic buildings for modern use and engage others with a role to play in their survival and regeneration.
| Title: | Museum in Docklands |  |
| Year: | 2004 |
| Client: | Trustees of the Museum in Docklands |
The Grade I listed West India Dock Warehouses, which date back to 1803, are a fascinating chronicle of London's maritime history and a heroic building endeavour in their own right. Their heavy masonry was built to withstand theft and fire; their vast interiors are forests of Pitch Pine columns. Badly damaged in WWII, the Warehouses were abandoned in the 1960s. The practice was commissioned to transform three of the surviving bays into a museum to 'tell the story of the docks'. The challenge was to convert the bays without compromising their character. The team avoided subdividing the imposing interiors and took great care to leave the wooden features exposed. Elements from the buildings' past, such as winches and hydraulic jiggers, were retained and contribute inventively to the displays. The £12m refurbishment won prestigious awards from the Georgian Group and RICS.
| Title: | Christ Church Spitalfields |  |
| Year: | 2004 |
| Client: | The Friends of Christ Church Spitalfields & the PCC |
Arguably the finest Baroque church in England, Christ Church is Hawksmoor's masterpiece, but by the 1960s its dilapidated condition led to the threat of demolition. Following a public outcry, a complete restoration began. The practice led the restoration of the derelict interior. The project entailed painstaking examination of the archaeological evidence - a few drawings, some contemporary accounts and some pieces of salvaged timber. The galleries, which had not survived, were reinstated and a new Purbeck marble floor was laid. The team's bravest decision was to paint the interior white. Though in keeping with the original decoration, this was a radical departure from the romantic, smog-blackened ruin the church had become. The courageous restoration was greeted with overwhelming support, winning many awards. The church is now a stunning place of worship and can be enjoyed as Hawksmoor intended for the first time in 140 years.
| Title: | Private Swimming Pool Complex |  |
| Year: | 2005 |
| Client: | Private Client |
This 16th-century manor house has been doubled in size to create a large swimming pool complex. Rising from the moat, the new building has battered brickwork, oak bay windows and a peg tile roof with swept valleys. It houses a swimming pool, Jacuzzi, splash pool, and changing and plant facilities. A large seating area accommodates a wood-fired pizza oven and an open log fire.
| Title: | Wolverhampton Art Gallery |  |
| Year: | 2006 |
| Client: | Wolverhampton City Council |
Designed by Julius Chatwin in 1884, the Grade II* listed Wolverhampton Art Gallery epitomizes the Victorian ideal of civic architecture. The practice undertook a ten-year long conservation and reordering programme, culminating in a £6.7m extension, to transform the Gallery for the 21st century. This was a complex undertaking. The site for the extension was constricted with a narrow frontage between two facades of very different character and scale, and the work had to be planned in phases so that the Gallery could remain open throughout. The new three-storey extension is an inventive triangular structure. Linked to the old gallery by a full-height, top-lit atrium, it provides two new exhibition areas, one of which houses the Gallery’s acclaimed Pop Art collection. Traditional and contemporary materials – glass, steel and terracotta – were used to create this innovative yet complementary addition to the original building. The project has ensured that Wolverhampton Art Gallery is once again a state-of-the-art exhibition space.
| Title: | Weston Park Museum |  |
| Year: | 2006 |
| Client: | Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust |
By the late 1990s, Weston Park was in serious decline with tired interiors and leaking roofs. The practice undertook a complex programme of renewal to create a modern museum from the existing buildings. Key challenges were to improve the poor circulation and inefficient use of space. The £17.3m, two-year redevelopment included a renovation of the Victorian buildings, the demolition of an unsightly 1960s extension, and the creation of a dramatic fifty-metre long concourse to link the Victorian and 1930s wings. The interiors were refurbished to provide bright, contemporary display spaces. The practice also helped to prepare a successful Stage II Heritage Lottery funding bid, turning a scheme with potential for HLF funding into a viable project that rapidly gained listed building consent. The new Museum has become a popular attraction, exceeding its predicted annual total of visitors within two months of reopening.
| Title: | The British Museum |  |
| Year: | 2007 |
| Client: | The British Museum |
The practice has carried out a number of projects for The British Museum, not least the temporary adaptation of the world-famous Round Reading Room into an exhibition space. The practice was also commissioned to repair, conserve and remodel the Manuscript Saloon, one of the oldest parts of the Museum. The space was purpose-built as a library and still has the original book presses, and the most challenging part of the brief was to adapt these presses for use as object display cases. They are regarded as highly significant features of the Grade I listed building, and it was imperative that they were impeccably preserved. Fibre optic cabling was threaded into the presses to provide unobtrusive but effective lighting. The lighting scheme was designed so that alternate cases are illuminated, making the displays all the more striking. The team collaborated with English Heritage and Camden's Conservation Officer to ensure that no damage was done to the historic fabric, and all of the work is fully reversible.
| Title: | Blaenavon World Heritage Resource Centre |  |
| Year: | 2007 |
| Client: | Torfaen County Borough Council |
St. Peter's School, constructed in 1816, was the first Welsh school to be built by an ironmaster to educate the children of his workforce. Despite its Grade II* listing, the building fell into dereliction. Following Blaenavon's designation as a World Heritage Site in 2001, the practice was commissioned to transform the school into a £2.7m resource centre. This required a complete refurbishment and reordering of the buildings. Extensive restoration work was undertaken, but the main challenge of the brief was to unify the upper and lower schools into one coherent space without compromising their character. A glazed extension was incorporated between them. The picturesque cross-wing elevation of the lower school was retained internally, and particular care was taken to preserve the original fabric. The building was sensitively integrated into the existing landscape using grass covered roofs. The centre was the only Welsh recipient of a 2008 RIBA Award and was praised by the jury for its “creative, pragmatic joinery details and excellent construction” and “the evident, close involvement of the client”.
| Title: | The Big C Centre |  |
| Year: | 2007 |
| Client: | The Big C Appeal |
The Big ‘C’ Cancer Family Information and Support Centre is in the grounds of the Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital. It provides an informal and relaxed environment centered around a ‘hearth’ and an enclosed garden with a water feature. The Centre provides information and computer links, aromatherapy, physiotherapy, relaxation classes and a place to meet and exchange information with volunteers and other patients. It is near the hospital but designed to have a different character and atmosphere.
| Title: | St. George's Hall |  |
| Year: | 2007 |
| Client: | Liverpool City Council & St. George's Hall Charitable Trust |
St. George's Hall is arguably the finest neoclassical building in Europe. During the 20th century, it suffered decades of under investment and, in the 1980s, was closed to the public. The practice was the driving force behind the renaissance of this iconic monument as an active multifunctional venue at the heart of Liverpool's cultural life. To commence the road to recovery, the practice was commissioned to complete conservation and strategic plans. Three aims were identified: to restore the building's fabric, to preserve it for future generations, and to bring it to life as a sustainable venue. The next step was to secure funding. The practice's team secured Phase I funding of £18m within twelve months of appointment as lead consultants and subsequently obtained a further £5m for Phase II. Working closely with other members of the professional team, the practice's staff used their leadership, management, design and technical expertise to ensure work was completed to the highest standards on time and on budget.
| Title: | Kirkstall Abbey |  |
| Year: | 2007 |
| Client: | Leeds City Council |
By 1999, Kirkstall's 800-year-old remains, once a place of pilgrimage for the Romantic poets, had fallen into disrepair and were designated a monument at risk. The practice undertook meticulous repair works and created a new visitor facility to ensure the future of these beautiful ruins. Care was taken to preserve the ruins as found. The aim was to slow decay without lessening the picturesque quality of the place. Invasive vegetation was removed, and the stonework and exposed wallheads were repointed. A key priority was to reinstate the stone slate roofs over the nave aisles and transept chapels where the fine medieval stone vaulting was vulnerable to moisture penetration. Central to the brief was the creation of a visitor centre. The lay brothers' reredorter, previously a public tearoom, was extended to provide WCs, display, education and reception areas. The design - a timber structure roofed in stone slates with a glazed elevation - was informed by archaeological records suggesting original pentice wings. It is a simple, sensitive addition to the setting and serves as a focus for the Abbey's future.
| Title: | West Dean College |  |
| Year: | 2007 |
| Client: | The Edward James Foundation |
Set in parkland of outstanding natural beauty, West Dean College occupies a Grade I listed flint-faced mansion. Built between 1804 and 1830 by James Wyatt, it is one of the largest flint structures in the country. The practice was commissioned to provide the College with additional student accommodation on a site to the west of the house. The new building has ten study bedrooms and a student common room in collegiate style staircases. The team's aim was to achieve continuity with the surrounding buildings by using locally sourced materials and traditional construction techniques. The design takes its inspiration from the timberwork, flintwork and clay plain tiles of the adjacent buildings, but it is presented in a contemporary way, ensuring that it celebrates its setting without falling into pastiche. Wyatt’s house has very fine knapped and galleted flintwork that could not be replicated, but the new building does have flint quoins and uses traditional lime mortar. The design was very innovative in its approach to sustainability, and the building was insulated to a high standard using recycled waste paper.
| Title: | Kew Palace |  |
| Year: | 2007 |
| Client: | Historic Royal Palaces |
Constructed in 1631, Kew was once the lavish country residence of George II's family. The practice undertook the final phase of a ten-year long restoration so that the Grade I listed Palace could be reopened to the public. Extensive repairs were made to the masonry and joinery, but the project's focus was the re-presentation of the interiors. After meticulous research and analysis, the original decorative schemes were painstakingly reinstated. Services were installed so that audio-visual equipment could be used in a new interpretation strategy. The second-floor rooms, once used by the Princesses and largely unchanged in 200 years, were opened to the public for the first time. Central to the brief was the need to make the Palace fully accessible. Working closely with the engineer and joiner, the team designed a lift for the building's west facade. A wooden closet shaft, destroyed in 1880, supplied the precedent for the structure and informed the oak cladding of the design. The team's thoughtful refurbishment won a number of awards.
| Title: | Wells Cathedral |  |
| Year: | 2008 |
| Client: | The Dean & Chapter of Wells Cathedral |
Wells Cathedral is a complex, busy and much-visited building. The practice was commissioned by the Dean & Chapter to prepare a masterplan for the Cathedral and its precincts. The aim was to consider the Cathedral in its entirety and to reconcile a number of competing objectives: to enhance the Cathedral's daily mission; to clear the cloisters and other historic spaces of recent inappropriate accretions; to provide facilities for the Cathedral's departments, including Education, Music and the Works Department; to increase visitor access and improve the welcome facilities. Following detailed negotiation with the Local Authority, the Cathedrals Fabric Commission for England and English Heritage, the practice gained approval for four new buildings within the heart of the historic precinct. The recently completed, award-winning buildings have enhanced the daily life of the Cathedral and improved the visitor experience by rationalising the complex of spaces. The project also enabled previously inaccessible areas, such as the magnificent octagonal Chapter House Undercroft, to be opened to visitors for the first time.
| Title: | Cobham Park Gardens & Darnley Mausoleum |  |
| Year: | 2008 |
| Client: | Cobham Ashenbank Management Scheme |
Left derelict in 1950, this imposing 18th-century mausoleum was so severely vandalized it seemed beyond repair. The practice was commissioned to return the Grade I listed memorial to its former glory after nearly 60 years of decline. The two-storey building, designed by prominent architect James Wyatt for the 3rd Earl of Darnley, is an irregular octagon constructed from crisply detailed Portland stone. The eleven-year, £2.5m restoration project entailed painstaking repair, cleaning and reinstatement work to secure the future of this Georgian gem. It formed part of a larger landscape management scheme, which included repairs to Wyatt's Grade II* listed Dairy, the Aviary and Pump House.
| Title: | Shaw House |  |
| Year: | 2008 |
| Client: | West Berkshire District Council |
Shaw House is a Grade I listed Elizabethan mansion built as a private house. It featured in the Second Battle of Newbury, when it served as Charles I's military headquarters (numerous musket balls have been found embedded in the brickwork). In the 20th century, it accommodated WWII troops and was home to Shaw House School until concerns about the building's structural integrity forced it to close. After the School's departure, the mansion stood empty and fell into dereliction. The practice was appointed to find a way of bringing the building back into use. The brief had three key requirements: to make the building fully accessible, to allow the House to inform how it should be adapted and used in the future, and to secure £5m of Heritage Lottery Funding. The practice undertook substantial but sensitive repairs alongside highly selective modern interventions, which were designed to be reversible, including the installation of two new passenger lifts. These works have enabled the building to be used as offices by the District Council with additional facilities for conferences and weddings. The historic house is also open to the public.
| Title: | People's Park |  |
| Year: | 2008 |
| Client: | Northeast Lincolnshire Council |
The practice has recently completed a number of projects at People’s Park in Grimsby. The Park, which is on the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest, retains much of the character of William Barron’s original 1890s design. The work, which included conservation, repair and new building, was supported by a Heritage Lottery Fund grant and involved lots of community participation. The practice has designed a new pavilion at the centre of the Park. Sited on a lakeside promontory, the building forms a striking profile, creating a focal point for visitors. Clad in larch with cedar roof shingles, the pavilion is highly insulated using sheep’s wool and is heated by a ground source heat pump. It provides much-needed facilities, including a café, toilets and park ranger offices.
| Title: | Christ Church College - Blue Boar Quad |  |
| Year: | 2009 |
| Client: | The Governing Body of Christ Church |
A seminal Modernist building, Blue Boar Quad is a hall of residence designed for Christ Church in 1968 by acclaimed British architects Powell & Moya. Since its completion, the building has been plagued by leaking roofs, cracking cladding and services failure. The practice was appointed as architects and lead consultants to repair, refurbish and extend the Quad to provide a new lecture theatre, extra student accommodation, en suite bathrooms, new archive facilities and disabled access. At the outset, the team was faced with a number of challenges. The Quad was put forward for Grade II* listed status and a pre-existing scheme was found to be costly, invasive and unlikely to gain planning permission. The practice was asked to find a solution that would improve the building's performance, maximize space, create development opportunities and gain statutory approval. The team prepared a conservation management plan and feasibility study, concluding that repairs should be reduced to safeguard the listed fabric and release funds for new facilities, including a high-performance 130-seat lecture theatre and archive. An additional floor of student rooms was created at roof level in an innovative yet discreet intervention. The practice's key achievement was to ensure that the budget was used most effectively to maximize the building's value.
| Title: | Athenaeum Hotel |  |
| Year: | 2009 |
| Client: | Ralph Trustees |
Unsympathetic alterations in the 1970s left this Art Deco Hotel looking tired and dated. The client wanted to rejuvenate the Hotel, transforming it into a distinctive destination for London. The brief was to convert the guest suites into light contemporary spaces, to create a new presidential suite with panoramic views over Green Park, to upgrade the public areas and to remodel the exterior. The most critical aspect of this project was to provide a dramatic visual transformation - both internally and externally - to enhance the hotel's character and prestige. Extensive internal reordering was also required, and this created considerable structural challenges. The Hotel's south-facing aspect onto Piccadilly meant that the team also had to address problems of solar gain and noise pollution to improve room quality and guest experience. Working in conjunction with the renowned botanist Patrick Blanc, the team created a dramatic nine-storey living wall for the facade. The aluminium sash windows were replaced with crisp, contemporary Juliet balconies and French doors with solar, thermal and acoustic efficient glazing. Internally, the dated spaces were enlivened, and the new Presidential Suite now boasts a walk-on balcony with spectacular views across the London skyline.
| Title: | Bowood Estate- Hotel & Leisure Spa |  |
| Year: | 2009 |
| Client: | Bowood Estate |
Bowood is a Georgian country house set in 2000 acres of Grade I listed parkland. The practice was commissioned to create an environmentally responsible, luxury hotel with 37 bedrooms, 6 suites, a restaurant and leisure spa complex within the grounds. The client wanted the building to reflect the estate's rich heritage and to offer an intimate experience to guests. The greatest challenge was the site's close proximity to four listed buildings. The design had to deliver exemplary environmental standards and luxury without detracting from the historic setting. Internally, extensive services had to be concealed within uncluttered, welcoming spaces. Helping the client to maximize use of the site's natural, sustainable resources was also key to the scheme. Thoughtful siting and massing of the building along with carefully chosen materials - natural lime renders and traditional slate roofs - have ensured that the hotel is integrated into its surroundings. Great care was taken over every aspect of the design to create inspiring and serene interiors. With the inclusion of a biomass boiler, reed bed drainage and a sedum roof, Bowood is the embodiment of eco-luxury.
| Title: | St. John's College - Maufe Building |  |
| Year: | 2009 |
| Client: | St. John's College, Cambridge |
Following a competition in the late 1930s, Sir Edward Maufe was selected to construct the last major building for St. John’s College on the east bank of the River Cam. In June 2005, the Master and Fellows of St. John’s commissioned Purcell Miller Tritton to prepare a feasibility study into the cost and options for refurbishment. The brief was to look at the possibility of providing all student rooms with en suite kitchen and shower rooms, consider enclosing part of the colonnade to improve security and provide an extended Porter’s Lodge, reorder the Health Centre, IT Department and Lady Superintendent's Department, investigate thermal insulation, renew all M&E services, increase passive ventilation, provide disabled facilities, recommend phasing options and carry out external repairs. The recommendations of the report were accepted and commissioned. The work was completed in three phases and has been delivered within budget and to all of the College's deadlines.
| Title: | The Hyde, Dillington House |  |
| Year: | 2009 |
| Client: | Somerset County Council |
Dillington House is a Grade II* listed building dating from the 16th century. It has been Somerset County Council's residential centre for adult education and life-long learning for over fifty years. The Council wanted to develop the buildings at Dillington to meet a growing demand for fully accessible facilities. The dramatic new Hyde Building has enhanced and extended the creative learning environment. The sensational and inspirational building provides two 100sqm studio spaces, a dining room, food prep areas, 15 twin bedrooms, a new sculpture court and gardens linked to the existing historic landscape. It also delivers major access improvements and sustainable features, including solar panels, rainwater harvesting and a green roof.
| Title: | Lomeshaye Weaving Sheds |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | Heritage Trust for the North West |
Whitefield Weaving Shed was added to Lomeshaye Bridge Mill in 1881. Both buildings are located in the Whitefield conservation area. The weaving shed was originally designed to house around 800 looms and was powered by its own steam engine in an adjacent building. The shed is a single storey building with a floor area over 2000sqm. It is covered by a series of north-light roofs, with Welsh slate roofs between, providing consistent light across the entire floor of the building. Cast-iron columns supporting the roof are arranged on a diagonal grid.
| Title: | Georgian House, 24 Park Square East |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | Private |
The project brief was to carry out internal alterations and adaptations to the property to restore it to domestic residential use. The proposals aim to retain much of the building’s existing historic fabric and include careful repairs and decoration. Contemporary intervention to allow modern day living and facilities will also take place.
| Title: | University of Wales - Main Arts Building |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | University of Wales |
The Grade I listed Main Arts Building at the University of Wales is a fine example of a turn-of-the-century Arts & Crafts building. Purcell Miller Tritton was commissioned to repair a high-level bay window, the Penrallt Road gates and the original lead rainwater pipes.
| Title: | 7-11 Onslow Square, Park House |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | Private |
Park House has an interesting history and has undergone an unusual evolution over the last century and a half. Although unlisted, the building lies within the Thurloe/Smiths Charity conservation area, with listed buildings and structures nearby, as well as mature protected trees and landscape. Our approach is therefore to treat the building as if it was listed and to work with the various authorities in a manner which will optimise the client’s requirements regarding the brief and encourage support from the local authority and other stakeholders.
| Title: | 22 Grove Terrace |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | Private |
The client brief for the restoration of this Georgian extension was to remove the 1970s extension to the rear of the property and replace it with a more sensitively designed scheme. General internal and external decoration will be required and the building’s fireplaces will need to be reinstated in some of the principal rooms. The existing sash windows will also need upgrading and roof repairs and insulation will be necessary. The extension guttering as well as its electrical, plumbing and heating installations will also need renewal.
| Title: | ersity of Essex Conversion of central boiler house |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | University of Essex |
Situated within the University’s Wivenhoe campus, the project was for the conversion of a redundant subterranean central boiler house into teaching seminar rooms and a theatre rehearsal studio. As part of the scheme, a mezzanine floor level was introduced in order to maximise the volume of the space to provide twenty seminar rooms with modern facilities, split over the two floors. The University’s vision was to transform the redundant boiler house space into state-of-the-art teaching and learning facilities for its ever increasing student population. This presented an engineering and design challenge to provide a modern, inviting interior scheme with adequate lighting and ventilation facilities, while observing the university’s commitment to sustainability. The practice also faced a tight and challenging timetable to have the project completed within the academic year. An enabling works strip-out contract was carried out by the University prior to the main building works. The main works involved cutting openings into and through the existing concrete structure. Light was introduced to the mezzanine level via roof lights and a sunken glass courtyard to the new central circulation space. This light also reaches the lower level via openings in the new mezzanine floor. Larger internal windows were added to the seminar rooms to introduce borrowed light to these areas.
| Title: | Oxford University Science Area |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | Oxford University Estates Directorate |
The Oxford University Science Area, to the north of Oxford, was formed in the 1850s. Its buildings house the university’s science departments, enabling inter-departmental collaboration. Two new buildings are now proposed; one for Physics and one for Chemistry. Both are in sensitive locations near to the Grade II registered Parks. They are also close to several significant listed buildings, such as Keble College.
| Title: | Men's Pavilion |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | Cadbury |
The Men’s Pavilion was built in 1902. Designed by J Bedford Tyler, it stands within the Bournville Village Conservation Area on a terrace to the south of the Cadbury twelve acre sports field. The building had become run down with no particular purpose, despite intermittent use by Bournville Cricket and Football Clubs and the use of the first floor gymnasium for occasional ball games. The brief was to bring the building up to current standards for everyday use by Cadbury staff and to enhance DDA access throughout the building.
| Title: | Hills Road Sixth Form College |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | Hills Road Sixth Form College |
Purcell Miller Tritton were commissioned to undertake the Phase IV rejuvenation of Hills Road Sixth Form College in order to establish a better working environment for both students and staff. The brief involved the re-ordering and re-presentation of fifteen separate academic and administrative areas. A new multi-purpose atrium, a refurbished library, a much improved student social area and the expansion of space available for history of art and textiles were part of the brief, along with improved laboratories.
| Title: | Coworth Park Spa |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | The Dorchester Collection |
cell Miller Tritton was commissioned by the Dorchester Collection to create an eco-luxury spa as part of a hotel development at Coworth Park. The building is buried within the natural contours of the landscape, emerging on the north side of the site under a living roof of chamomile, lavender and thyme. This pioneering design meets two key aspirations of the client: the building's volume and footprint will be kept to a minimum and the spa will be intimately related to its sensitive green belt setting. Commanding exceptional views across the estate and the woodlands beyond, the spa offers a pool, gymnasium, three thermal rooms, ten treatment rooms and a terrace oriented to make the most of the natural sun path from morning to dusk. A timber glulam monocoque frame and lime hemp walling contribute to the spa's carbon negative design, and a biomass boiler and closed loop ground water heat transfer system provide approximately 50% of the spa's energy demand. The green agenda is carried through the entire spa, down to the furniture, fittings and equipment to create a truly eco-luxury environment.
| Title: | National Maritime Museum - Sammy Ofer Wing |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | National Maritime Museum |
Forming an integral part of the UNESCO Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site, the National Maritime Museum is the largest of its kind in the world, welcoming over 1.5 million visitors a year. The practice has been appointed as executive architects and lead consultants to deliver a major new wing at the Museum. The scheme, designed by concept architects C. F. Møller, incorporates a new entrance, a state-of-the-art archive, new exhibitions spaces and greatly enhanced visitor facilities. One of the key challenges of this ambitious brief has been to create a fully accessible research and learning centre incorporating an archive for over half a million maritime artefacts to comply with modern conservation and preservation standards as described in BS 5454. The scheme is also expected to achieve a BREEAM ‘Very Good’ rating for sustainable design. All of these requirements will be met within the context of the Grade I listed museum and its historic setting. Developing the concept into a detailed design, the practice’s team has achieved both planning and listed building consent. The new entrance wing will transform the museum, providing enhanced access from Greenwich Park and improving visitor circulation throughout the site. The new exhibitions spaces and archive will create an engaging and interactive museum for the 21st century. Work is due to start on site during the summer of 2009, and the new wing is on track to open in 2011.
| Title: | Millbank Island Site |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | Parliamentary Works Service Directorate |
The Millbank Island Site, designed by W. D. Caroe and built between 1903 and 1906, is a fine red-brick Edwardian building. The House of Lords has acquired the site to provide offices for Peers and their staff. The practice has been commissioned to undertake the refurbishment and re-presentation to create high-quality offices and ancillary facilities. The challenge of this brief has been to create a modern, universally accessible workplace that meets the stringent security requirements of the client without compromising the character of the Grade II* listed building. The team has used their expertise in the creative adaptation of listed buildings to balance these priorities. The proposal includes the removal of unsympathetic internal accretions to reveal the original architecture. Much of the first-floor panelling will be restored and the plaster ceilings will be repaired. Discreet service walls will house the heating and cooling systems, and a series of ramps will create level access throughout the building. A detailed analysis has been carried out to model the building and ensure all opportunities for energy conscious design are implemented.The project will deliver new offices for over 100 Peers and their support staff, a suite of meeting rooms, a new kitchen and dining facilities, a printed paper and mail room, reading rooms and an e-library.
| Title: | Royal Insurance Building |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | Kingsgate (London) Properties Ltd. |
The former Royal Insurance Building was one of the first steel framed structures in Britain. Vacated in the late 1980s, it has stood empty for twenty years and is now on English Heritage’s Buildings at Risk Register. Purcell Miller Tritton has been appointed to convert this Grade II* listed Baroque building into a luxury, five star boutique hotel. The building is one of the earliest examples of steel frame construction in Europe and it’s design is highly innovative. The first three floors are suspended from the frame above to provide a column-free ground floor. Unfortunately sustained water ingress has led to corrosion and dry-rot, presenting significant conservation challenges. The conversion is an ambitious transformation of the building for an entirely new purpose. It entails extensive repair work, which includes re-roofing the entire structure, as well as fundamental changes to the interior. The main challenge is to integrate the historic fabric into a hotel for the twenty-first century. The practice’s proposals include a dramatic two-storey steel and glass extension to the rear of the structure, providing fifth and sixth-floor suites. The configuration of the building lends itself to conversion into a luxury hotel. The former insurance hall, office spaces and grand mahogany panelled board-room will become the restaurant and meeting areas, whilst the office spaces above will be used for bedroom accommodation. The proposals include conservation of the Portland stone and the highly significant steel frame, panelling and plasterwork, whilst integrating contemporary designs for glass lifts, and a three level suite in the tower. Planning and Listed building consent was achieved in 2009.
| Title: | Chatham Historic Dockyard - No1 Smithery |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust |
Chatham Historic Dockyard is a maritime heritage site of international significance. The site contains over 100 buildings and structures built, for the most part, between 1704 and 1855. During this period Chatham was the Navy’s pre-eminent shipbuilding and repair yard and an important fleet base. No. 1 Smithery is a Grade II* listed Scheduled Ancient Monument. It was constructed between 1806 and 1808 to designs by Edward Holl, the Assistant Architect in the Department of Navy Works, and was used for the manufacture of anchors and chains. Following the Dockyard’s closure in the 1980s, the Smithery fell into dereliction and was included on English Heritage’s ‘buildings at risk’ register. The Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust was keen to restore and find a sustainable new use for the Smithery. The practice has been involved in two phases of work. Initially, the team was commissioned by the Trust to conduct essential repair and refurbishment work. The damaged masonry was repaired and the entire building re-roofed. The practice was instrumental in securing Heritage Lottery funding for this £10m project and led negotiations with English Heritage throughout the complex restoration. The practice now has an ongoing role as Conservation Adviser to the Trust. The team is advising on a scheme to transform the Smithery into a museum to house the national maritime model collection and is carrying out residual repair work.
| Title: | Clevedon Pier |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | Clevedon Pier Trust |
Clevedon pier is the only Grade I Listed pier remaining in England and is arguably the most elegant and significant. Designed by Grover and Ward in 1867, it stood for over a century until it suffered a catastrophic collapse in 1970, while undergoing load testing. Purcell Miller Tritton was commissioned to prepare a development plan for the pier and to restore its structure both to re-open it to the public and as a pier head for pleasure boats plying the Bristol Channel. The repair of the cast iron pier structure was a complex project involving the complete dismantling of the metal structure, its repair using innovative welding techniques on a remote site and its shipping back to Clevedon for reassembly. Highly specialist paint systems were used to protect the pier’s slender cast iron columns from sand erosion. We assisted in negotiating substantial grants for the first phase of the project from English Heritage and the National Heritage Memorial Fund and in securing Heritage Lottery Funding for phase II. The restored pier promenade was re-opened to visitors in 1989, making boat landings possible by re-instating access to the concrete dolphin beyond the pier head. The main phase of works to conserve the pier head was completed in the late 1990s, and the final phase, allowing the re-erection of the pier’s cast iron pavillions, was completed in 2005, at a total cost of over £4 million. The project is a fitting testament to the practice’s work over 25 years to provide architectural services, organisational and funding support to the Clevedon Pier Trust.
| Title: | Swan Meadow & Pottery Roads Heritage Assessment |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | British Waterways |
The practice was commissioned by British Waterways to undertake a Heritage Assessment of the former Leeds-Liverpool Canal Company warehouses, offices and boat building repair yard at Swan Meadow Road and Pottery Road close to Wigan Pier. The scope of the commission was to perform a historic buildigns appraisal and archaeological desk-based assessment to establish the history, development and significance of the buildings and the landscaping and potential buried archaeology. We were also required to develop series of conservation policies to ensure that the site’s significance is retained in any future development. The assessment presented specialist heritage advice in order to fully inform a strategy for the sites.
| Title: | Ellesmere Yard |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | British Waterways |
Purcell Miller Tritton was commissioned in April 2007 by British Waterways to carry out measured surveys of a group of Grade II Listed canal buildings in Ellesmere Yard, on the Llangollen Canal. Following the surveys, the buildings were to be transformed to ensure their preservation for future generations and to develop the Yard’s potential as a key visitor destination in the town.The surveys included the preparation of a report on the buildings’ condition after specialist analysis of the timber elements and structural condition of the buildings. Structural, electrical and mechanical assessments of each of the buildings were carried out for the report. A costed repairs schedule was also included to establish the feasibility of refurbishments and to facilitate the development of the buildings into new uses.The report established the measurements and condition of the buildings, forming the basis of a conservation-led approach to the refurbishment and redevelopment of the site. It will form the basis for the redevelopment of the area, which has huge historical significance as the former headquarters of legendary canal pioneer Thomas Telford, whose engineering prowess put the borderlands on the map during the Industrial Revolution.
| Title: | Tatton Park |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | Cheshire County Council |
Tatton Park was the home of the Egerton family from the late 17th Century until 1958, when it was left to the National Trust, and reflects their elegant taste. The first house on the site was completed in 1716, extensively improved in the 1760s and rebuilt between 1780 and 1816 in the Greek Revival style. Purcell Miller Tritton has been engaged by Cheshire East Council as long term architects for the estate to carry out planned maintenance and strategic capital works. We have also been appointed to provide a Conservation Management Plan, Development Plan and Quinquennial Survey reports.
| Title: | Florence Institute |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | The Florence Institute Trust & Merseyside Building Preservation Trust |
The Grade II listed Florence Institute was the first building in Great Britain to be constructed specifically as a boy’s youth club. It was built by Bernard Hall, a former Mayor of the City, in memory of his daughter Florence and comprised a large hall, a gym, boxing training facilities and domestic offices. The building survived the Second World War but was badly damaged by an arson attack some years ago and has been unoccupied ever since. Purcell Miller Tritton was commissioned to restore the building and convert it to multi function community use. The development required substantial funding and strategic planning in order to restore the building to its former glory. Purcell Miller Tritton was therefore involved in extensive research and multiple funding applications. This included: a feasibility study with funding from the Architectural Heritage Fund; temporary work to improve the safety and security of the site; a project planning grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund; a Conservation Management Plan; and an Access Plan for the building. A Stage 1 application for a Heritage Grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund was also implemented. Following the securing of funding and the development of the Conservation Management Plan and Access Plan, building has commenced on site. The building’s badly damaged structure will be preserved and restored as much as possible, with the remainder constructed from scratch to convert it for modern use. The flexible plan for the building allows a number of uses that echo its original incarnation, including managed workspace, a large space for performances and recreational uses including ball games, boxing facilities and a gym.
| Title: | Binfield Lodge |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | Confidential |
Purcell Miller Tritton was commissioned to carry out alterations to enhance the architectural quality of the lodge and provide a sympathetic new addition comprising a ground floor gallery, cloak room, powder room, orangery, gymnasium and changing rooms; in addition to a club room, wine cellar and service areas at basement level. The alterations to the main house form part of a wider project to bring the house, gardens and grounds into order and provide new equestrian and ancillary buildings. As the owner wished to create an addition that was in keeping with the style of the existing property, we had to ensure that this complemented the property in a simple and subtle way, rather than competing with its grand style. Another challenge was to create an equestrian centre for 18 polo ponies with accompanying ancillary buildings that did not compete in scale with the main house. The ‘summer wing’ is to provide the summer extension that you would expect from a house of this size and style. The use of brick and stone is in keeping with most other buildings on the estate, particularly the main house. The orangery and gymnasium take advantage of south facing views and provide access to the south lawn and pool. The gymnasium, pool and equestrian centre will provide the owner with health and fitness facilities. These will be served by the changing rooms, steam room and sauna, cloak room and powder room. The wine cellar at basement level is to provide secure temperature controlled storage for 4,800 bottles of wine. This is located near to the function room, which is to be used for entertaining large numbers of guests.
| Title: | National Maritime Museum - Sammy Ofer Wing |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | National Maritime Museum |
Part of the UNESCO Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site, the National Maritime Museum is the largest of its kind in the world, welcoming over 1.5m visitors a year. The practice has been appointed as executive architects and lead consultants to deliver a major new wing at the Museum. The scheme, designed by concept architects C. F. Møller, incorporates a new entrance, new exhibition spaces, enhanced visitor facilities and a fully accessible research and learning centre with a BS 5454 compliant archive for over half a million maritime artefacts. The scheme is expected to achieve a BREEAM 'Very Good' rating for sustainable design. Developing the concept into a detailed design, the team has achieved both planning and listed building consent. The new entrance wing, which is on track to open in 2011, will transform the museum, providing enhanced access from Greenwich Park and improved visitor circulation throughout the site. The new exhibition spaces and archive will create an engaging, interactive museum for the 21st century.
| Title: | Stowe House & School |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | Stowe House Preservation Trust |
Stowe is one of the finest 18th-century houses in Europe. Like many great estates, it declined in the 19th century and was sold. Now it is home to Stowe School. In 1997, the Stowe House Preservation Trust was established and embarked on an ambitious six-phase programme of restoration led by Purcell Miller Tritton. Two phases of work have been completed. The roofs and stonework of the north front and south front central pavilion have been repaired, and the spectacular interior of the marble saloon, which is modelled on the Pantheon in Rome, has been restored. The third phase is currently underway. The bulk of the work involves stonework and joinery repairs to the east and west pavilions and the south front. Work has been completed on the large library, where the original roof structure has been restored and the ornate plaster ceiling gilded. All of the work has been carried out while the school has been in use.
| Title: | The National Gallery |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | The Trustees of the National Gallery |
The practice has worked at the National Gallery since 1989 and served as Consultant Architects to the Gallery for twelve years. During that period, the team worked in close collaboration with gallery staff to oversee every aspect of the building. The collection was completely redisplayed and the public facilities were reordered. The team rationalized the muddled circulation, creating a visual structure throughout the exhibition spaces using new decorative schemes. The original architecture, which had been obscured by alterations in the 1960s and 70s, was uncovered, and architecturally interesting 'spots', such as the memorable octagonal room, were created to help orientate visitors. The practice was also responsible for the interior fit out of the Sainsbury Wing, designing a touch screen information room, restaurant, and picture storage and archive facilities. The most dramatic scheme of work was undertaken in the unloved North Wing. Here, the 1970s Brutalist interior was remodeled to provide an architectural framework for the displays, softening these previously uninviting spaces.
| Title: | Leighton House Museum |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea |
Designed by George Aitchison and constructed between 1865 and 1896, Leighton House was the artist studio house of well-known painter Frederick, Lord Leighton. Located on the edge of Holland Park, the unique Grade II* listed building is a popular visitor attraction. Some of the most remarkable features of the house are the Arab Hall, Staircase Hall and Narcissus Hall. The building houses 81 of Leighton’s own oil paintings and his priceless collection of Syrian tiles. The building’s fabric needed careful refurbishment, and improvements were required to bring the internal environment of the museum up to contemporary standards. Initially, the practice was appointed to carry out a full analysis of the interior and to compile a gazetteer. A conservation management plan, containing a study of the building’s history and significance and recommendations for its future management, was also prepared. The practice has been appointed to lead a £1.2m programme of conservation, refurbishment and restoration, including the reinstatement of the original ziggurat parapets. The client’s desire is to bring the house back to the full glory of Leighton’s vision and to provide greater understanding of his life. Leighton’s original decorative schemes, authenticated by new research and paint analysis, are being reinstated, the collection is being re-presented and areas previously closed to the public are being opened up.
| Title: | Coworth Park Spa |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | The Dorchester Collection |
Purcell Miller Tritton has been commissioned by the Dorchester Collection to create an eco-luxury spa as part of a hotel development at Coworth Park. The building will be buried within the natural contours of the landscape, emerging on the north side of the site under a living roof of chamomile, lavender and thyme. This pioneering design will meet two key aspirations of the client: the building's volume and footprint will be kept to a minimum and the spa will be intimately related to its sensitive green belt setting. Commanding exceptional views across the estate and the woodlands beyond, the spa will offer a pool, gymnasium, three thermal rooms, ten treatment rooms and a terrace oriented to make the most of the natural sun path from morning to dusk. A timber glulam monocoque frame and lime hemp walling will contribute to the spa's carbon negative design, and a biomass boiler and closed loop ground water heat transfer system will provide approximately 50% of the spa's energy demand. The green agenda will be carried through the entire spa, down to the furniture, fittings and equipment to create a truly eco-luxury environment.
| Title: | Arnos Vale Cemetery |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | Bristol City Council & Arnos Vale Cemetery Trust |
Arnos Vale is one of the most important and beautiful early 19th-century cemeteries in Britain. Following years of neglect, it was abandoned and, in the 1990s, the gates closed. By this time, the four Grade II* listed buildings, the monuments - over 30 of which are listed - and the Arcadian landscape were in a state of advanced dereliction. Vast areas of timberwork were affected by rot, and the vegetation was tearing many of the buildings and monuments apart. The crematorium was piled high with urns of ash with human remains left in and around the cremulator. The practice was commissioned to undertake a £5m scheme of repairs, adaptations, landscaping and infrastructure improvements to bring the cemetery back into use. Even with a substantial HLF grant, it was evident that funds would not be sufficient for all of the necessary work. A strategy was developed to split the landscape into compartments and to scale the works within each area from full restoration to untouched wilderness. These careful decisions brought the project within budget and retained the romantic, overgrown charm of the cemetery. The building works included full repairs to the derelict Anglican Chapel. The Non-Conformist Chapel was also repaired and converted to provide a state-of-the-art education complex, incorporating a modern steel and glass entrance pavilion. Another highlight was the repair of the Chattri tomb of Raja Rommohun Roy.
| Title: | Selby Abbey |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | Selby Abbey |
Selby Abbey was founded by a Benedictine monk in 1069 and was the first monastic house to be established in the North of England after the Norman Conquest. It has a splendid Romanesque nave and west front with a 14th-century choir. The Abbey is built of a local magnesium limestone and is subject to severe decay through weathering and pollution. In 2001, it was included in the World Monument Fund's list of the 100 most endangered buildings. Working with local craftsmen, Purcell Miller Tritton has carried out several phases of stone conservation and re-roofing, including works to rebuild and strengthen the pinnacles. The team has also worked alongside carvers to conserve some of the remarkable life-size figures which sit on the parapets. Where the originals have been lost, the practice has commissioned special replacements. Inside the Abbey, the team has worked with scientists and specialists to understand the problems of salting and efflorescence and has designed new fittings, including choir stall lights.
| Title: | St. Paul's Cathedral |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | The Dean & Chapter of St. Paul's Cathedral |
The practice has undertaken a £40 million restoration, extending to virtually every part of Wren’s magnificent building. The entire interior and exterior have been cleaned. Much of the stone became blackened during the cathedral’s 33-year construction, so this is the first time that the building can be seen as Wren intended. The crypt has been completely reorganized to provide a shop, refectory, café, WCs, conference facilities, choir practice rooms and new education facilities.
| Title: | Parish Churches |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | Various |
We are known for our work at some of the nation's most celebrated ecclesiastical buildings, but we have also been caring for many parish churches for over sixty years. Within our team, we have some of the most experienced and respected ecclesiastical architecture experts in the country. Many of our staff are members of Diocesan Advisory Committees, and we are well informed about the pressures that churches face. We give trusted and impartial advice on everything, from quinquennial inspections and meticulous repair works to accessibility improvements, funding streams or everyday maintenance issues. We have a proven track record of working in the most sensitive contexts, providing re-orderings, extensions, new church halls and advising on the commission of new organs, bells and artworks. We believe it is essential to preserve our built heritage but also to give it a vibrant, relevant and beneficial future.
| Title: | Central Police Station Compound (Hong Kong) |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | The Hong Kong Jockey Club |
Dating from 1841, the Central Police Station Compound has a fascinating 150-year history. This unique site in the heart of Hong Kong contains 17 buildings of historic value, but the site has been inaccessible to the public since 2006, a void in an otherwise vibrant quarter of the city. Working with Concept Architects Herzog & de Meuron, Purcell Miller Tritton has been appointed as Conservation Architects to regenerate the Compound. The practice's brief is to find new uses for the buildings, balancing the requirement to preserve their historic character with the need for sustainable renewal. The team has carried out a thorough investigation of the Compound, assessing its vulnerabilities and identifying the potential for regeneration. By developing a narrative for each building, the team will find ways to accentuate their heritage value and allow them to be adapted for appropriate new uses. The scheme will safeguard the buildings' future and create a coherent identity for the site as a whole. New links will be forged to ensure that the site becomes an integral part of the city's fabric and cultural life.
| Title: | King Edward VII Sanatorium |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | City & Country |
The King Edward VII Sanatorium was constructed between 1903 and 1906 as a specialist institution for the treatment of tuberculosis, and its design reflected the latest clinical ideas. The Sanatorium has been an important local landmark for a century. We have been commissioned in collaboration with Squire & Partners and Land Use Consultants to prepare a masterplan for the redevelopment of the site as a residential complex. The first step will be careful analysis of the historic building. By stripping away the poorer quality modern interventions, the team will return the Sanatorium to its original form and unlock its potential. The key challenge will be to maximise the building's existing footprint, balancing commercial imperatives with respect for the listed fabric. Another challenge will be to win a strong consensus for the scheme from the local community and other stakeholders.
| Title: | Private Shooting Lodge |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | Confidential |
This residential conversion consists of three adjoining parts: an open fronted barn, a two storey brick built central section and a two story timber framed barn at the west end. The oldest timber framed element dates back to the 16th century and the brick built section to the 18th century. Our clients’ requirements included a shooting lodge, residential accommodation for a gamekeeper and storage space in connection with the shoot. The gamekeeper’s cottage was formed by converting half of the brick built section of the building which produced neat but spacious living accommodation. The other half and the two storey timber framed barn were converted into the shooting lodge where careful use of internal glazing opened up the interior spaces. The additional contemporary interventions contrast delightfully with the historic structure: here the clients’ input was invaluable and they are, to use their words, delighted with the results.
| Title: | The Crown Estate |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | The Crown Estate |
The Crown Estate owns some of the most significant residential and commercial property in central London, a portfolio covering Regent's Park, Kensington Palace Gardens and St. James's. As Conservation Advisor to the Estate, the practice is responsible for safeguarding the fabric of these distinguished buildings whilst enabling residents to enjoy the comforts and convenience of modern living. The role involves work of all types and scales from the reinstatement of historic interiors to the careful repair of iron railings. It is this meticulous engagement that preserves the character and value of the Crown Estate as a whole. The practice not only acts as lead consultant for a range of projects but also provides a full architectural service, from concept design and buildings appraisal through to implementation on site. Major renovation schemes have been carried out at St. John’s Lodge, the Finish Ambassador’s residence and the American Ambassador’s residence at Winfield House.
| Title: | Coach House Refurbishment & Extension |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | Confidential |
Our client wanted to add an additional floor level and to refurbish this historic coach house. Although the property was not listed, it was set within a conservation area, so the intervention needed to complement the original gable wall. The design comprised a frameless glazed facade and a new roof structure set back from the line of the original gable wall. The detailing was kept as minimal as possible. Internally, the aim was to preserve the original character of the building through retention and reuse of the existing materials with new elements designed to echo the character of the historic building.
| Title: | Knole |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | The National Trust |
Knole was built in the 15th century by Archbishop Bouchiere and was subsequently enlarged as a royal palace under Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. The country seat of the Sackvilles since the 17th century, it has belonged to the National Trust since 1946. In addition to the impressive suite of rooms open to the public, Knole is occupied by ten separate households. The practice has led a major programme of conservation and repair at the house as well a project to reorder the family areas.
| Title: | Private House |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | Private Client |
Designed around a central courtyard containing a silver birch tree, this innovative four-bedroom house is circular in plan. Traditional materials - red brick, natural slate and cedar boarding - are used in a contemporary way. The house is designed to provide natural ventilation throughout the main spaces. Underfloor heating and a high level of thermal insulation are also provided.
| Title: | Private Eco-House |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | Private Client |
This private house was constructed using simple, affordable technologies to create an economically built and environmentally sensitive home. The house has high standards of insulation, including high-performance Scandinavian windows, in an enhanced vapour transfer timber frame construction. The breathable roof and wall structure improves the internal environment for occupants and gives long-term protection to the fabric. Every material was carefully considered, including low VOC paint and varnish finishes. The house has a low maintenance sedum green roof and is clad in locally sourced western red cedar, a timber valued for its resistance to decay. Other features include: a whole house ventilation system with a heat exchanger, solar thermal heating for domestic hot water and a rainwater harvesting system. Designed in close collaboration with the client, the house is highly adaptable so that it can be modified for a disabled occupant. The team was meticulous in its engagement with every aspect of the project, even installing Swift and House Martin-friendly open eaves. The project is an example of what can be achieved with thoughtful design, scrupulous selection of materials and technologies, and with the input of an enthusiastic client and contractor. It demonstrates that a quality, sustainable home can be achieved on a limited budget.
| Title: | Cromford Mill |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | The Arkwright Society |
In 1777 Sir Richard Arkwright combined the traditional cottage weaving industry with water power at Cromford Mill. He started the industrialisation of cotton cloth manufacturing, which was to become one of the cornerstones of the 18th and 19th-century Industrial Revolution that created our modern world. The importance of Arkwright's contribution is acknowledged in the Grade I listing of the buildings at Cromford and its inclusion as one of the key assets in the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site. We have been commissioned to create a World Heritage Site Gateway on the ground floor of Building 17 with a small business centre for creative media companies on the floors above. The World Heritage Site Gateway will provide a starting point for visitors to the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site, telling the story of the Valley. The creative media centre will provide suites of small offices with a central reception facility, shared meeting rooms and other support accommodation to cater to 'dry' media businesses and start-ups.
| Title: | Radcliffe Observatory Quarter |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | Oxford University Estates Directorate |
The Radcliffe Infirmary, designed by Stiff Leadbetter, opened in 1775 and remained in continuous use as a hospital until 2007, when it was acquired by Oxford University. The practice was commissioned to provide a conservation overview for the development of this sensitive site into an academic campus. Over 232 years of occupation, the 10-acre site has been transformed by several major building programmes and is densely packed with buildings from the 19th and 20th centuries. There are some fine listed buildings surrounded by utilitarian ones. The practice prepared a conservation plan to determine how much of the historic fabric should be preserved. The plan was agreed with the city's Conservation Officer and English Heritage and was used as a primary briefing document for appointment of a masterplanner. Working alongside Rafael Viñoly Architects and a team of consultants, the practice developed the masterplan concepts. Purcell Miller Tritton has also been commissioned to repair and renovate the site's most significant buildings: the Grade II* listed Infirmary; St. Luke's Chapel, designed in 1865 by Sir Arthur Blomfield; and Edward Warren's 1913 Outpatients' Building.
| Title: | No. 1 Smithery - Chatham Historic Dockyard |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust |
Chatham Historic Dockyard is a maritime heritage site of international significance. Containing over 100 buildings, mainly built between 1704 and 1855, it was the Navy's pre-eminent ship building and repair yard and an important fleet base. No. 1 Smithery is a Grade II* listed Scheduled Ancient Monument constructed between 1806 and 1808. It was used for the manufacture of anchors and chains until the Dockyard's closure in the 1980s. The building then fell into dereliction and was included on English Heritage's Buildings at Risk Register. Collaborating with Van Heyningen & Haward, Purcell Miller Tritton led two phases of repair and acted as conservation advisors for the building's repair and regeneration. The team helped to secure HLF funding, lead negotiations with English Heritage and advised on transformation of the Smithery into a new maritime museum. The design delivered a secure, controlled environment for the artefacts without obscuring the historic fabric and character of the Smithery. The original walls and steel superstructure have been repaired using compatible materials with sound elements left in their raw state so that visitors can see how the building would have looked when it was in use.
| Title: | Time & Tide 'Museum of Great Yarmouth Life' |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | Great Yarmouth Preservation Trust |
The practice was commissioned by the Great Yarmouth Preservation Trust to transform this former herring-curing works, which was on the local authority’s buildings at risk register, into a museum to tell the story of Great Yarmouth. Despite years of neglect and vandalism, many of the factory’s original features had survived. The practice wanted the Museum to embody a sense of memory and to be fun. The tall smokehouses were preserved complete with their distinctive, fishy aroma. Some of the deep pits, or ‘steeps’, which had been used for soaking the herring in brine, were adapted for use as display spaces. Alterations were necessary to allow for coherent circulation through the exhibition spaces and a lift and staircases were added, but great care was taken to ensure that the conversion was sympathetic. Where possible, alterations were made in areas that had sustained damage and were clearly expressed in modern materials.
| Title: | Blackburn Cathedral Quarter |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | The Dean & Chapter of Blackburn Cathedral and Blackburn Cathedral Developments |
Blackburn Cathedral was built in 1826 as a church. It was given cathedral status a century later, but the precinct has remained largely undeveloped. The practice has been commissioned to regenerate the Cathedral's surroundings, revitalize the town centre and re-forge links between the two. The development will be a re-imagining of the medieval cloister for the twenty-first century. The greatest challenge of this brief has been to relate the geometry of the Cathedral buildings to the existing cityscape. The site will be transformed by the construction of a series of underground car parks and the creation of two public squares framed by new building. The development will provide housing for clergy and 85 private apartments, bringing clergy and community together. An enclosed garden, library and refectory will also be created. The £45 million scheme will rejuvenate the concept of the cathedral close, providing foundations for social, economic and spiritual restoration and creating a new heartbeat for Blackburn.
| Title: | Ely Cathedral |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | The Dean and Chapter of Ely |
.Since 1960, when Donovan Purcell was appointed Surveyor to the Fabric, the practice has provided Ely Cathedral with nearly fifty years of care and acquired an unrivalled knowledge of the building. Much of the external fabric has been repaired and conserved in two campaigns of work. In the 14th-century octagon and lantern, the lead was repaired, the 19th-century glazing was cleaned and the paintings were conserved. Use of a high-level flying scaffold ensured that the life of the Cathedral was not disrupted. A new Purbeck marble floor was laid in the Lady Chapel and underfloor heating was installed to reduce harmful condensation. Designed by the practice, the Lady Chapel Passage is the first significant addition to the Cathedral since completion of the West Tower in the early 16th century. The design is a recreation of the original medieval entrance and was the result of meticulous archaeological research and excavation. The Passage is built in Clipsham stone with a green oak roof. A glazier and sculptor collaborated with the design team to create glass, carved and gilded roof bosses.
| Title: | The Hereford Screen |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | Victoria & Albert Museum |
The Hereford Screen was designed in 1862 by Sir George Gilbert Scott. Before installation in Hereford Cathedral, it was a star exhibit at the 1862 International Exhibition, praised as a triumphant example of modern architectural metalwork, but in 1967 it fell victim to fashionable anti-Victorian prejudice and was dismantled and sold. In 1983 it was given to the V&A. The practice was commissioned to manage the conservation and installation of the Screen which, at the beginning of the project, consisted of approximately 14,000 separate pieces. Its structural coherence had been lost and many decorative parts were loose or missing. The originally vivid colours of the painted elements were muted, much of the paint was flaking off and the metalwork was disfigured by rust. The Screen had been designed to be freestanding, so, to ensure its stability in its new home at the V&A, a foundation of steel girders was built inside the base plinth and thick steel rods were fitted inside the columns, bolted to the girders and fixed onto steel plates inside the entablature. At the time, the restoration of the Screen was the largest conservation project ever undertaken by the V&A, both in scale and cost.
| Title: | Island Eco Resorts |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | Island Eco Resorts |
The breathtakingly beautiful Virgin Islands will be the location for the first of ten 100% eco-driven resorts. Every care will be taken to protect the unspoilt habitats of the two islands where the resort will be located. The development will also provide the local community with sustainable employment. Guests will arrive at the islands by solar powered ferry, and solar powered buggies will be available for use during their stay. Beachside restaurants, bars and lounges will be supplemented with spa facilities that celebrate their natural setting. Electricity for the 50-suite hotel and 150 eco-luxury villas will be generated by marine turbines and solar hot water, and natural air conditioning will be provided using marine and ground coupling. The hurricane-proof structures will be made of carbon negative lime hemp walling with a recycled steel framework. Greywater recycling will contribute to water conservation, and rainwater harvesting will flush the toilets to a reed bed drainage system. All waste will be processed using biodigesters to generate further energy and provide a natural organic fertiliser for growing produce for the resort.
| Title: | The Carlton Club |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | The Carlton Club |
The Carlton Club was founded in 1832 by a group of Tory MPs at Charles II Street off St. James's Square. In 1835, it moved to new premises on Pall Mall designed by Sir Robert Smirke, but the building was destroyed in a WWII air-raid. Now the Club is located at 69 St. James's Street. Luckily, many of the most valuable of the Club's possessions, including portraits of Conservative Prime Ministers, survived and can be seen in the Club today. The practice has completed a refurbishment of the three-storey building, including the lavish Churchill and Macmillan Rooms. Both spaces were redecorated and re-gilded to transform their appearance. The colour scheme for the Churchill Room was based on Pugin's Yellow Dining Room at Brighton Pavilion. Previously a cold and formal space, the room is now flooded with brilliant, warm light.
| Title: | Broxbournebury Hotel |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | Broxbournebury |
The practice has been commissioned to revitalize this Grade II listed mansion - currently in use as a golf and country club - as an environmentally responsible, luxury hotel. Much of Broxbournebury's historic fabric has survived, but the reception and domestic rooms have been used to house fitness equipment and the historic walled garden has been replaced with tennis courts. The practice will relocate these inappropriately sited leisure facilities into a new, purpose-built extension. The natural gradient of the site will be used to 'bury' the new building under a green roof with the walled garden restored above. In this way, the design will meet the exacting requirements of a modern hotel with minimal impact on the historic setting. The scheme will also implement a groundbreaking sustainable agenda. Broxbournebury will see the first application of natural air conditioning through ground coupling to a UK hotel, and solar panels will meet 85% of the hotel's hot water requirements. Additional features will include a biomass boiler, rainwater and grey water recycling, and an urban drainage system with reed beds. This range of measures will establish Broxbournebury as one of the most sustainable hotels worldwide.
| Title: | Secret Hills Discovery Centre |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | Shropshire County Council |
The client wanted a building to tell the story of the Shropshire Hills with interactive exhibition and education spaces, workshops, a café and shop. The building is intended to be a modern landmark, attractive through its novelty without being domineering. A curved grass roof, divided by a patent, glazed circulation spine, softens the building’s impact on its surroundings. Landscaped mounding reduces the building’s apparent scale and visibility from all directions.
| Title: | Primary & Secondary Schools |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | Various |
The practice has worked on a large number of primary school projects with private and public sector institutions, and we have a highly experienced team working in the sector. Our portfolio includes many new building projects, but we also work with many existing and listed school buildings, where our creative conservation expertise is invaluable. We work closely with stakeholders throughout the design and construction phases, and we are adept at managing complex schedules to minimize disruption to school life. Our track record shows that strong, contemporary school design can be achieved within a limited budget.
| Title: | Lower Treginnis Farm for City Children |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | Farms for City Children |
Lower Treginnis, a remote farmstead on the Welsh coast, is owned by the National Trust. The Grade II listed buildings, which date from the 18th century, are leased by Farms for City Children, an educational charity which works with children from deprived urban areas. We were commissioned to convert the buildings into a residential farm activity centre for children aged between eight and fourteen. Particular emphasis was put on creating a welcoming and secure home for the children. Despite financial constraints, the focus of the brief was to maintain the quality of the buildings, providing delightful, light and airy, non-institutional spaces. Great care was taken over the small details, such as window seats and ironmongery. The light fittings were handmade from garden sieves and feature carved figures inspired by Edward Lear's nonsense poem 'The Jumblies'.
| Title: | Wollaton Hall & Deer Park |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | Nottingham City Council |
Designed by Smythson in 1580-1588, Wollaton Hall is a spectacular example of English Renaissance architecture and a much-loved local landmark. The practice is undertaking a major programme of works to improve visitor access to the Hall, which is home to Nottingham's Natural History Museum, and to re-present the historic interiors. During Phase I, repairs were made to high-level stonework, unsightly modern fittings were stripped from the historic interiors, and sensitive new services and displays were incorporated into the first-floor exhibition rooms. The greatest achievement was the opening of the Prospect Room and Tudor kitchens to the public for the first time in 50 years. The Prospect Room had been closed because the 16th-century oak lattice floor was believed to be unsafe. A scheme of repair was undertaken in difficult conditions to install a new oak floor. The mid-18th-century decorative scheme was then carefully conserved. Despite being the Hall's most complete survivals from the 16th-century, the kitchens, larder, saucery and wine cellar had been used as workshops, a boiler room and for museum storage. Later additions and alterations were removed to reveal the original Tudor hearths and a partially demolished brick beehive oven, which has now been restored.
| Title: | Scott and Shackleton's Huts (Ross Island, Antarctica) |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust |
The historic huts on Ross Island in Antarctica are some of the most remarkable monuments to human endeavour in the world. The practice is engaged in the on-going process of surveying and restoring these extraordinary survivals from the 'heroic age' of polar exploration. Initially, the team undertook condition surveys at the sites and provided a conceptual overview for the work. The first tasks were to safeguard the artefacts that give the huts their unique atmosphere and to cut back the encroaching snow and ice around Scott's Hut at Cape Evans. To date, specialist teams of carpenters, archaeologists and conservators have repaired Shackleton's Hut and conserved its contents. Two seasons of conservation work have also been completed at Scott's Hut at Cape Evans. The practice has prepared all of the specifications, drawings and scheduling for work at Borchgrevink's Hut, which was the first structure to be built on the Antarctic continent, and work is due to start there in 2010. The remote location and ferocity of the climate have made the challenge of conserving these structures unique. All of the work has been considered from first principles with interesting repercussions for the future of conservation in more moderate climates.
| Title: | Dover Castle |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | English Heritage |
We led a project to re-present the Great Tower at Dover Castle, creating interiors to evoke the character and atmosphere of the Tower during the reign of Henry II. The complex scheme involved an introductory exhibition, the incorporation of Pepper's Ghosts technology, an illusionary technique used in theatre, and the fabrication of a significant number of large and small artefacts, including furniture, textiles and paintings on canvas.
| Title: | English Heritage Asset Management Programme |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | English Heritage |
English Heritage has appointed the practice as an approved consultant for condition survey services under their Asset Management Programme. The unique five-year long commission involves teams from ten studios working at sites throughout the country. The practice’s national coverage provides the flexibility to fully resource every piece of work across all nine English Heritage regions. To date, the teams have carried out specialist condition surveys at some of the country’s best known historic monuments, including: Clifford’s Tower, an iconic castle keep in York; Audley End, a fine Jacobean country house situated near Cambridge; and St. Paul’s Monastery in Jarrow, which is renowned as the home of Bede, the 8th-century historian and scholar. The practice’s knowledgeable architects handle the entire survey and reporting process. Their experience means they give informed decisions on the condition of the buildings and deliver clear, appropriate recommendations. The practice is delighted that this framework builds upon its long-standing relationship with English Heritage.
| Title: | The Runnymede-on-Thames Hotel |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | Ralph Trustees |
This highly successful hotel sits on the banks of the Thames at the edge of Runnymede Meadows where the Magna Carta was signed. The practice led a radical transformation of its external appearance and facilities. The project has transformed the hotel with the addition of a new entrance forecourt with stepped lakes and canals that thread through the foyer. A crisp glass pavilion overlooks the Thames with terraces and tensile canopies beyond to allow for outdoor dining. The hotel’s conference facilities have also been extended and arranged around a lounge to allow for all-day dining. Facilities include a coffee bar, drinks bar and business centre to support the state-of-the-art technology, media and function facilities. The hotel has also been upgraded with a package of green and sustainable measures, including solar panels, which will generate 85% of the hotel’s hot water.
| Title: | Ballyfin (County Laois, Ireland) |  |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Client: | Ballyfin Demesne Ltd. |
Ballyfin is considered to be the finest neoclassical house in Ireland. During the twentieth century it was used as a school and gradually deteriorated. The practice has been commissioned to transform it into 'the finest small hotel'. Initially, the team prepared Conservation Management and Strategic Plans for the renovation and development of the house and demesne. A planning application was then drawn up for the adaptation of the buildings for hotel use. The main house has been skillfully restored by Irish and English craftsmen. The stunning ground-floor reception rooms have been conserved and redecorated, and luxurious first-floor bedrooms and bathrooms have been created. A 1920s dormitory extension is currently undergoing transformation to provide further bedrooms, a swimming pool and spa. Conversion of the stable yard and farm buildings will deliver additional guest and staff accommodation. An extensive scheme of repair is also being undertaken in the park. The water courses, fountains and streams are being cleared and will run through the grounds via a renovated grotto. The team has drawn on a wealth of conservation experience and design expertise to plan the works to this splendid house and park. The hotel, which is due to open in 2010, will be unique.
| Title: | Grimsby Docks Ice Factory |
| Year: | 2011 |
| Client: | Balfour Beatty in partnership with North East Lincolnshire Council |
The site is a collection of brick-built, early 20th Century buildings forming what was an ice-making factory. Some of the buildings retain machinery from the early 1930s, while others are empty shells. The factory has recently been in the national spotlight, chosen by The Victorian Society as one of the ten most endangered Victorian/Edwardian buildings at risk in England. It is currently vacant and in a poor and deteriorating condition.
| Title: | Gateshead Quays |
| Year: | 2011 |
| Client: | RMJM |
Gateshead Quays covers approximately 15.6 hectares of land adjacent to the River Tyne. This is a time-deep environment with archaeological deposits from the Roman period onwards. It also encompasses buildings ranging from a medieval church to visionary 21st Century architecture, such as the Sage Gateshead Millennium Bridge. The site is notable for its rich and iconic industrial heritage, including the Tyne Bridge, a national and international symbol of Gateshead.
| Title: | Castle Park Conservatory |  |
| Year: | 2011 |
| Client: | Cheshire West and Chester Council |
Purcell Miller Tritton was commissioned to restore Castle Park’s fire damaged Victorian Conservatory, which dates from the 1870s and convert it into an events venue and display space for Cheshire West and Chester Council. The building is a composite timber and cast iron construction and had lost a great deal of its original decorative detail. It formed a centrepiece to Castle Park’s formal gardens designed by Edward Kemp.
| Title: | Chester Cathedral |  |
| Year: | 2011 |
| Client: | The Dean and Chapter of Chester Cathedral |
Purcell Miller Tritton Architect appointed Surveyor of the Fabric for Chester Cathedral in conserving and protecting Chester Cathedral, one of the few monastic buildings chosen by Henry VIII to become an English Cathedral following the dissolution of the monasteries. Under the Visitor Attraction Scheme, the practice will carry out three entirely new projects: an intervention to allow for a Cathedral at Height experience, which provides public access inside and outside the building at high level; the construction of a new nave platform to provide new liturgical and community space; and the addition of a new terrace refectory above the existing Cloisters.
| Title: | Norwich School |  |
| Year: | 2011 |
| Client: | The Norwich School |
The Norwich School consists of a range of buildings of all types, from the medieval Bishop’s Palace to the modern Dayne’s Sports Centre. The bursar wanted a comprehensive report into the condition of all the buildings, including their fixtures and furnishings, in order to plan maintenance and possible improvements over a five year period.
| Title: | Myatt's Field Estate |  |
| Year: | 2011 |
| Client: | Savills |
The site is a large development of late 1970s council housing. Narrow Victorian terraced streets previously existed on the site but were the subject of slum clearance, following the Second World War. Many of the buildings were updated in the 1990s. However, the majority remained in poor condition and did not meet the need for more modern accommodation in the area.
| Title: | Conisbrough Castle |  |
| Year: | 2011 |
| Client: | English Heritage |
Purcell Miller Tritton was appointed by English Heritage in October 2010 to provide architectural services and to gain consents to replace the visitor and education facilities at Conisbrough Castle. The castle is situated in the centre of the town of Conisbrough, South Yorkshire and the existing site comprises entrance gates, a 19th century lodge, and a temporary visitor facility; in addition to the main castle buildings including the castle mound, inner bailey, curtain wall, keep, outer bailey and enclosures. The key challenge of the project is to sensitively meet the demanding topography of the site and to provide new accommodation in the form of a new building which reduced the impact upon the landscape, the views and primarily the castle.The design ethos of the project is to be sensitive to the special value of the place and setting, while being creative in the design of the new spaces and buildings. The designs we have developed allow the existing lodge to be retained and reused, while creating a contemporary new building within the historic castle grounds. They are currently progressing to a stage where applications for planning and listed building consents can be made.
| Title: | St. Pancras Waterpoint Tower |  |
| Year: | 2011 |
| Client: | Heritage Trust for London |
Purcell Miller Tritton was commissioned to act as expert advisor and monitor by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for the relocation and restoration of the St. Pancras Waterpoint Tower, designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott. The structure was built as part of the main St. Pancras Station building complex and was used to fill the boilers of Victorian steam trains, but was threatened with demolition in order to make way for the new St. Pancras International terminus. The practice assisted in obtaining Heritage Lottery Funding for the emergency relocation of the structure to a nearby site and for its restoration, following transferral of its ownership to the Heritage Trust for London. Movement of the structure presented a huge logistical challenge as it had to take place in sections, to be reassembled in its new location. Considering its age, the building also required careful handling to preserve its Victorian structure.
| Title: | Sudley House Museum |  |
| Year: | 2011 |
| Client: | National Museums Liverpool |
Purcell Miller Tritton was commissioned to carry out repairs to the 19th century, Grade II* Listed museum, which was the former property of Nicholas Robinson, a rich corn merchant and Mayor of Liverpool from 1828 - 1829. Subsequently owned and substantially altered by art collector George Holt, the house remains one of the few Victorian period homes that survives today and houses the only Victorian merchant art collection in Britain still hanging in its original location. The main challenge was to carry out external repairs to the museum, in the form of roof and renovation works. The cause of the dry rot from and 19th century works by Millais, Turner, Gainsborough and the Pre-Raphaelites, in addition to traditional English portraits, landscapes and prints and Chinese porcelain.Sensitive repairs to the museum’s fabric were undertaken to preserve the building’s collection of historically significant and painstakingly assembled artworks. The removal or disruption of historic joinery and finishes was avoided via the introduction of new steelwork and consolidation of existing timbers. We also strengthened a historic balustrade for modern gallery use, by introducing an additional scrolled bracket, tied back into the existing floor structure. The aim of the project was to address the issues while respecting the historic nature of the fabric at all times.
| Title: | Colchester Town Centre, Greyfriars, Hillcrest & All Saints House |  |
| Year: | 2011 |
| Client: | OMC Investments Ltd |
Purcell Miller Tritton was commissioned to develop design proposals and to submit Planning and Listed Building applications for the conversion of three adjoining buildings within the Colchester Town Centre Conservation Area. These comprise Greyfriars, listed Grade II*, Hillcrest and All Saints House, both listed Grade II. Used for educational purposes since 1908, the buildings will be converted into a hotel with 21 bedrooms, a bar, restaurant, function room, offices and a staff flat. Alterations to existing buildings, on this sensitive site will include a single storey extension to create a glazed entrance foyer. A three storey lift shaft will also be installed to improve access. Modern outbuildings and boundary walls will be partially demolished, making room for the scheme and the existing car park will be re-landscaped. Minor internal alterations will also be made, involving the delicate adaption of timber pannelling and other existing fabric. Sensitive handling of the site will be required to develop the Greyfriars building in accordance with the Development Brief prepared by Essex County Council and Colchester Borough Council, as well as close dialogue with English Heritage. A set of detailed architectural dawings illustrating the proposed developments were therefore submitted with the applications to show this. A Heritage Statement, Transport Statement and Arboricultural Statement for tree protection works were also required. The hotel will further aspirations for the regeneration of Colchester town centre, increasing hotel provision in the town, for which there is a recognised need.
| Title: | Trinity Hospital, Greenwich |  |
| Year: | 2011 |
| Client: | The Mercers' Company as Trustees for the Earl of Northampton's Charity |
The Grade II* listed Trinity Hospital is the oldest surviving building in Greenwich town centre. The practice has been commissioned to undertake a complete refurbishment of the out of date facilities, which consist of 20 bedsits, the Chapel, Courtroom and sub-hall. The brief is to convert the existing bedsits into ten wheelchair accessible flats with modern kitchens and bathrooms with a particular emphasis on improving access and flexibility for residents. Compliance with Design & Quality Standards, Lifetime Homes and Secured by Design is necessary to meet the criteria for HCA funding. The key challenge is to provide units suitable for sheltered housing while respecting the existing architecture. Environment Agency consent is required for new flood gates to protect against rising river levels. The team has to find solutions to meet Secured by Design criteria on an existing building and to accommodate protected bat species found on site. All of the existing services will be renewed. Repairs to the roof, brickwork, render and windows will be carried out. The Chapel and Courtroom, which are used for formal events, will be redecorated. The spaces will be reorganised with minimal disruption to the existing fabric. All of the details will be carefully designed to best meet the needs of residents and to preserve the historic character of the hospital.
| Title: | Holland House |  |
| Year: | 2011 |
| Client: | Confidential |
Holland House is the former Old Rectory and was built in the 15th Century, with a Georgian façade added later. Purcell Miller Tritton was appointed to incorporate a new kitchen extension with a contemporary working kitchen, and to renovate the house to add ensuite bathrooms to all six bedrooms. The challenges presented by the brief included designing a new kitchen extension which complemented the façade, while still fitting in with the rest of the building. Reordering of the house was needed to add ensuite bathrooms for each bedroom and link the many different periods and styles of existing architecture. It was also paramount that we designed the interior around the client’s superb antique furniture collection. To meet our client’s needs, we worked very closely with them throughout the project, particularly for the interior fit out, to design spaces for their furniture collection. It was important to know where each piece of furniture would be placed and to design new furniture which would compliment the existing pieces. We used decorations to connect the varying periods and styles of the rooms. We sourced all fabrics and finishes and designed the bespoke kitchen.
| Title: | 16 Grosvenor Place |  |
| Year: | 2011 |
| Client: | Confidential |
Purcell Miller Tritton was commissioned to convert this Grade II listed property back into a single dwelling, removing unsympathetic alterations and reinstating former features of the house. Located at the southern end of a grand terrace overlooking Buckingham Palace, the property was originally designed for the Grosvenor Estate by Thomas Cundy. Throughout the 20th century, the building underwent many alterations and changes of use, including sub-division into flats and office space. This has eroded the character of the property, particularly the interiors to the upper floors and basement. The challenge has been to carefully ‘unpick’ the damaged caused by the inappropriate alterations and restore as much of the former interior as possible, based upon archive research. Modern day facilities and services that are now expected in a property of this stature were also introduced, as the property would have had when first built. The design solutions have been numerous, including the intricate incorporation of new heating, electrical, lighting and IT systems throughout. A cantilevered stone staircase was reinstated and the basement was modernised to incorporate a swimming pool and a gym, in addition to studio and kitchen dining areas. New lifts have been carefully inserted to avoid disturbing the historic fabric.
