PROJECT REPORT: HERITAGE & HISTORIC 41
because the timbers had been carrying all this massive machinery from the mill industry,” says Mark Sidebotham; “Normally, there would just be some rotting at the beam ends, not something so structural.” As a result, new steel frame propping was inserted to support the original structure along the cloister line. Other ‘higgledy-piggledy’ building features also demanded the attention of the designers. Raised fl oors were installed over existing undulating timber fl oors throughout the scheme making it possible to set a new datum for installation of a new staircase. This also provided a zone for concealed services, and helped improve acoustic performance.
A survey of the existing windows revealed a range of different shapes and sizes, and the scans were used to develop a common square window that would fi t any of the openings.
A sensitive approach to the historic fabric helped win over the planners and heritage experts, who nevertheless pushed the architect to ensure correct detailing and materiality.
“Introducing a thermal wall internally meant we didn’t have to do any dry lining on the courtyard facade, which meant all the bullnose reveals could be all kept in place, in tune with what the heritage people wanted,” says Sidebotham. The original staircase treads on the lower level, which have become dish-shaped with wear, are also retained, adding in new handrails and lighting to ensure safety.
As part of the drive to adapt to, rather
than fi ght against, the existing building, the mill’s structural layout largely dictated the different scales of fl ats, in turn informing a range of price points for the properties. “We worked with the structural grid and the rhythm of the windows,” adds Sidebotham, “When you enter an apartment [from the cloister] you align with the centre line of a window on the outside facade. This is slightly different for different apartments because the grid changes slightly as you go along.” To ensure a level of repeatability in the design, each fl at has a standard-sized kitchen and bathroom, and the spaces around them increase or reduce in size according to the physical constraints of the mill’s structure.
Duplexes in the upper two levels of each of the buildings were treated slightly differently. To raise the height of the roof
ADF FEBRUARY 2025
space, terraces are formed from recessive cut-outs, using a steel ‘goalpost’ spanning between the existing timber trusses to support the existing roof.
The duplex living and kitchen spaces are located on the upper level, while the terraces provide private amenity spaces and views back towards the city centre.
Industrial aesthetic
The material palette for the refurbishment sticks to and celebrates the ‘mill template,’ with cleaned up brickwork and new windows and slate roofs in the same language as the original. The 10-storey Phoenix building on the adjacent plot takes a more contemporary approach, but inspired by the industrial aesthetic. The focus is on the precast concrete structural facade divided into rectangular sections of blue engineered brick cladding.
PROJECT TEAM
Client: Capital&Centric Architect: shedkm Contractor: Capital&Centric Structural engineer: Arup Services engineer: Progressive Services Design
CLOISTERS
A key design move by shedkm was to include ‘cloister’- like circulation corridors on the external facades facing the courtyard, rather than internal circulation, plus ‘thermal walls’ to the apartments
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