Projects

The project consisted of the sympathetic restoration of a Grade II listed 16th Century, infilled timber framed, building. Traditional structural and finishing materials were used supplemented with modern structural underpinning as required.

Challenges included forming a watertight reinforced concrete basement, below the foundation level of adjacent structures, and load-bearing masonry structure in a poorly accessed site, just 14m by 8m, under close heritage and archaeological supervision.

The 1970’s extension was replaced with a modernist four storey structure forming basement toilet facilities, ground floor kitchen, first floor beer cellar and feature third floor plant room. Throughout this part of the building, traditional locally sourced stone has been used to complement a modern glass and stainless steel atrium that integrates the two parts of the building.

Where the previous 1970's structure had been removed, this area was the site of a six week layered dig and archaeological investigation resulting in the exposure of a Roman road, prior to the construction of the new basement.Between the old and new structures an existing 9m deep in-filled well was excavated over a sixteen week period and its existing stone arches rebuilt. This work followed the under-pinning and replacement of the existing gable wall, which lies immediately above the well. The completed glass topped well forms a striking feature within the atrium especially as the lighting enhances the depth of the well.

A wall from a Roman Gateway to the city was discovered when the ground floor slab was taken up in the original building. Before works could continue to replace the ground floor, the archaeologists on site had to take measures to preserve the findings which involved exposing as much as possible, recording it, and covering the wall in a waterproof membrane to limit damage by recovering it.

The Planar glazed structure of the atrium seamlessly joins new and old areas and houses the well, with a glass lid. Access is via a glass staircase and walkway. Spectacular lighting makes a feature of the glass and the stone in the new extension, along with other state of the art lighting systems in the well and the upstairs bar.