GILLARD ASSOCIATES architecture and design
BROCHURE OF CONSERVATION PROJECTS
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CULTURALLY SIGNIFICANT RESTORATION PROJECTS ON MAJOR BUILDINGS PROJECT: LOCATION: DESCRIPTION:
ATLANTIC COLLEGE ST. DONATS CASTLE RESTORATION AND REORGANISATION
THE UNITED WORLD COLLEGE OF THE ATLANTIC opened at St Donat’s Castle, a Grade 1 listed building, in September 1962. Since then the college has been at the forefront of international education for students from the ages of 16-19, and the United World Colleges movement has expanded to ten colleges worldwide. The college benefits enormously from occupying the prestigious castle and grounds. At the same time, fitting the needs of a modern educational establishment into the historic building presents certain difficulties, especially as the needs and aspirations of the organisation change over time. The main challenge was the refurbishment of a mock medieval timber framed building which was erected in Victorian times. The appearance of the building was authentic and essential to maintain the complex history of ownership of the building; unfortunately the construction was poor and considerable movement had taken place due to inappropriate use and detailing of materials, causing rotting and degradation of key structural timber members. Added to this, stone detailing needed to be repaired, particularly traditional leaded lights and stone window surrounds. In considering the alterations, the following strategy was followed, emphasis being placed on sympathetic refurbishment techniques, ie: •
minimum intervention in terms of building work;
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retention where possible of any key historic features;
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removal of insensitive modern building components;
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phasing of the work so that intervention can be kept to a small scale, with the consequential benefits to project management and detail design issues.
During construction work many difficulties were encountered, including the discovery of dry rot, and not least the liquidation
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of the renovating company carrying out the work. However, Gillard Associates took on a project managing role and oversaw the last months of work directly, to ensure that the college did not suffer unduly from a lengthening programme. The facility was decorated and interiors co-ordinated with the theme of timber veneers, rich colourways and fabrics, to echo the medieval theme, and generate warmth in otherwise rather basic and under daylit basic rooms with their characteristically small windows. The college now have a suite of rooms which are well suited to their new uses – a resource for students to access university prospectuses and for visiting interviewers, a new staff common room and administration centre.
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FARFILD MILL YORKSHIRE HERATIGE AND COMMUNITY CENTRE
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PROJECT: LOCATION: DESCRIPTION:
FARFIELD MILL HERITAGE CENTRE is a project set up by the local community whose aim was to preserve the industrial heritage of this little known corner of Yorkshire.
COMMUNITY CAMPAIGN The Sedbergh and District Building Preservation Trust began a long campaign to save the old textile mill from dereliction in 1998, and it took a long time to source and confirm funding in order to begin conservation work. The building is now well established as an educational resource for textiles students and teachers, as well as workshops and studios for a variety of artists and craft workers. Visitors are encouraged to visit the building and the perambulation into and down through the various levels is well designed to maximize interest and sales opportunities for the permanent residents. Any visitor centre these days has to offer refreshment facilities and tourists are well catered for in a new restaurant which provides beautiful views over the adjacent river and countryside, as well as near views into a room containing the last working textile loom in Cumbria.
RENOVATIONS The building itself was relatively well preserved, although much work was required to the roof and four storey retaining walls. The robust timber and stone construction has been retained along with as much open plan space as possible, to give a real flavour of the original industrial architecture.
FUTURE Farfield Mill was opened in 2004 but time doesn’t stand still for the SDBPT and the building is being further developed to provide dance and drama studios, with conference and residential facilities planned for the near future.
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RESCUING NEGLECTED BUILDINGS FROM THE BRINK OF COLLAPSE
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PROJECT: LOCATION: DESCRIPTION:
OLD VALE MANSE VALE OF GLAMORGAN RESTORATION AND REUSE
This was one of the last listed manses left in the Vale of Glamorgan which had been left vacant. The detailed measured survey revealed a lot about the history of the building which is probably pre mediaeval in origin and which was subsequently remodelled and rebuilt over the centuries. We worked closely with the client and the conservation officer to find a solution to the problem of sensitively inserting 21st century living accommodation into the shell. Almost all of the original timbers were unusable due to years of neglect and decay. Traditional lime mortars and plasters were mixed on site by the builder and used throughout the restoration to ensure breathability and moisture control.
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RESPECTING HISTORICAL CONTEXTS WITH CONTEMPORARY INTERVENTIONS PROJECT: LOCATION: DESCRIPTION:
OLD FORGE LLANTWIT MAJOR RESTORATION AND EXTENSION
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The Old Forge is a small Grade II Listed building in Llantwit Major needing urgent restoration. Probably dated from the 16th Century and disused since the 1980s The Old Forge is in a poor state. Although the stone walls are still relatively stable nearly all of the structural timbers have rotted beyond the point of use. Our design for a new live/work unit is based on SIPS insulated panels for a new timber framed structure adjacent to the existing stone will rescue this building and give it new life. The new roof faces south and will allow the concealment of solar panels for water and electricity generation making our proposals respectful of the future as well as the past.
PROJECT: LOCATION: DESCRIPTION:
CONTEMPORARY BARN HEREFORDSHIRE CONTEXT SENSITIVE EXTENSION
THIS CONTEMPORARY BARN is an extension to an existing period cottage a in the heart of rural Herefordshire. The client commissioned an elegant modern extension that would open up to the landscape and provide a beautiful setting for his collection of modern furniture. The building required a sensitive design solution to satisfy strict local planning constraints. After researching the local vernacular, it was felt that the most suitable response was a new timber framed barn structure, fitted out internally as living accommodation. The design was praised by the local planning authority for its contextual design - it sits happily into the rural landscape and appears to be a traditional building when seen from afar� - yet still fulfilled the clients desire for a light modern structure.
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PROJECT: LOCATION: DESCRIPTION:
CHAPEL BARNS PHASE 2 MERTHYR MAWR ESTATE SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS PARK
PROJECT CONCEPT Firstly, to rescue an important group of listed buildings which have become redundant and derelict, and to give them a new, long term, sustainable future. Secondly, to unify the buildings and their setting by a single use and in so doing, create a unique, high quality working environment in an inspiring location for a diverse collection of innovative businesses. The uniqueness of the development is due to its location in the heart of a beautiful rural village, and the architecturally interesting and harmonious combination of the old and the new both in the buildings and the landscape. These factors will combine together to demonstrate the successful application of sustainable practices which will inform the design and functioning of the site.
BACKGROUND The buildings comprising Phase II at Chapel Barns are part of the collection of traditional farm buildings which together formed part of the Home Farm of Merthyr Mawr Estate. Home Farm is located in the heart of the village, within the Merthyr Mawr Conservation Area. The site also forms part of a parkland registered Grade II* in the ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens.
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“...the application has been made to a very high standard, both of design and in supporting documents.� Principle Conservation and Design Officer, Bridgend County Council
MINIMUM INTERVENTION, MAXIMUM CONSERVATION In approaching the design the following pointers were uppermost in the mind of the architect: a) Existing Buildings To respect the historic heritage of the site by intervening as little as possible with the existing historic buildings and their context and to conserve as far as possible the existing building fabric and setting b) New Buildings To make any new interventions as lightweight, subtle and as low key as possible, with an architecture which is sympathetic yet without any suggestion of pastiche.
DETAILED CONSIDERATION OF NEW BUILDING DESIGN In line with the general concept outlined above, it was decided to make the new buildings similar to the existing in terms of scale and colour, but to make a complete departure in terms of texture and materiality. Whereas the existing buildings are heavy – using limestone walls and slate roofs – the new buildings are lightweight, using metal roofing and timber cladding, with extensive use of glazing. Obviously this approach starts a conversation between new and old architecture, and it enables the building group to be ‘read’ as one concept with no ambiguity as to the period of construction. Confusion is also avoided by using a landscaped deck whose surface seems to enfold around the new buildings, and appears to hover slightly above the grassy site.The implication is that the new buildings sit lightly on the land, and, should it be required at some point in the future, the insertion can be just as easily removed. Since the connections of the new buildings with the old are so subtle and tentative, the removal could be achieved with little difficulty.
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PROJECT: CASA DEL MONTE LOCATION: PARMA, ITALY DESCRIPTION: FARMHOUSE
Casa del Monte is a C19th Italian farmhouse under restoration by the owner, Alan Gillard. This typically rural building is a combination of local sandstone walls and chestnut timbers, with stone slab roofing. It had been abandoned in 1960 as part of the big postwar diaspora. Unfortunately, in the intervening period, long term loading of the roof by the stone roof slabs had overstressed the roof members, causing severe damage and allowing the ingress of water. This damage required urgent measures to repair. Chestnut poles from surrounding woodlands were selected and transported to site for use as purlins replacements. In order to save the old structure it was decided to replace the heavy stone slabs with lighter concrete tiles. The consequence of roof damage was the erosion of the foundations, which in turn had destabilized some external walls, with the result that significant cracking had taken place. These cracks were built up in reclaimed stone and local lime mortar.. A few existing windows remained, and these were used as a pattern for making new. All carpentry and stone walling was repaired and renewed by the architect, Alan Gillard.
Building when purchased; Alan repairing roof structure and re roofing; repaired brick arch and authentic replacement window with ‘rustic shutters’.
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Casa del Monte is completely autonomous and generates all power from pv cells and a wind turbine. Fuel is biomass cut from surrounding woodland; water is supplied from aquifers and rainwater is harvested. It has been recognized as one of the few sensitively restored examples of Appennine farmhouses in the province.
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