The Benedictine Abbey in Oulton was built in 1840 and is Grade II listed. It is part of a wider complex of buildings including the adjacent church, (Grade II*) designed by E.W.Pugin and associated agricultural buildings for the former self-sufficient site. The size of the order at Oulton has reduced significantly since this time. The Abbey was largely converted to a care home and nursery under the management of the Monastic community. A large number of the ancillary buildings have fallen into disrepair.
The practice were appointed in 2010 to gauge the current condition of the various buildings and masterplan a scheme to revitalise the site.
The constraints of the listed building were found to seriously limit the effective running of the care home. The scheme sought to release pressure on the heritage asset by building a sensitively designed new facility, significantly larger than the existing facility, to cater for the demand for space whilst meeting current best practice. The building occupies the former orchards to the north of the abbey and incorporates 49 beds including a specialist dementia unit.
Further phases will see the conversion of two adjacent barns to two residential and three assisted living units. The redundant laundry buildings are to be converted to continue the nursery usage on site with associated external play areas. The abbey itself is to be converted to 12 bespoke retirement apartments. A monastic presence will remain at Oulton.
The proposals are the result of extensive consultation with numerous stakeholders, the local community and liaison with English Heritage and Stafford Borough Council.
The Master’s House, St John’s Hosptial, Lichfield.
Assessment of historic fabric to ensure a secure understanding of the historic fabric, and how appropriate breathable insulat ions and secondary glazing could be sympathetically installed.
Solution: A breathable IWI Sheep Wool Insulation and lime mortar on wood wool. Sympathetic interiors following the completed installation of secondary glazing, breathable insulation, lime plaster and breathable decorations. The property has reduced its winter energy costs and enjoys a more comfortable thermal environment.
Arca, Birmingham
CAT A fitout Office project located in Birmingham City Centre which achieved Excellent under the BREEAM UK Refurbishment and Fitout criteria. Careful design decisions chosen alongside consulting with BREEAM Professionals allowed us to achieve the required Excellent BREEAM Rating and achieve a modern, flexible and focus driven working space interior fitout.
Our design teams can identify when thermal modelling software, daylight assessment or building fabric analysis is required for U-value calculation or other aspects of building performance.
St Peters Church, Maney Hill.
Works undertaken to provide solar panels to the south facing pitch of the nave, to reduce operational running costs.
The role of a building and site in supporting and enhancing ecosystems and native species.
The greenhouse gas emissions from the lifecycle of building materials, including extraction, manufacturing, transport, construction, maintenance, and disposal. The conservation team has an especially thorough understanding of how different building materials respond to climate and weather in the short and long term. This expertise helps us to avoid costly errors when specifying building materials.
The greenhouse gas emissions from energy consumption required to operate a building (e.g., heating, cooling, lighting, appliances). The engagement of Services and Energy consultants from the feasibility stage onwards helps our clients to explore lifetime energy consumption and improve efficiency.
The amount of water consumed during a building's operation and its broader impact on water resources.
The impact of building design and materials on occupants' physical and mental health. We guide clients through all their options when it comes to occupant well being and technology.
BHB Architects
Georgian House
24 Bird Street
Lichfield
Staffordshire
WS13 6PT
Tel: +44 (0) 1543 254 357
mail@bhbarchitects.co.uk
BHB Architects
1 St Margaret's Terrace
Cheltenham
GL50 4DT
Tel: +44 (0) 1242 521 608
mail@bhbarchitects.co.uk
