Historic Buildings Portfolio
As architects, landscape architects and urban designers, we create award winning buildings, living landscapes and thriving urban spaces, using inventive design to solve real life challenges. Each of our projects is different but the driving force behind every one is the desire to create something that is inherently beautiful, sustainable and useful.
Many of our projects involve the sensitive restoration and refurbishment of listed buildings; and we have significant expertise of working in historic contexts – always striking a balance between respecting architectural heritage whilst meeting modern day requirements and expectations. We have worked on buildings from all periods, from Georgian to 20th Century buildings, as well as in the context of scheduled monuments. We start with an understanding of the history of the building and its site, from which the priorities for adaptation and restoration are derived. These broader issues are then followed through with scholarly attention to detail and a good understanding of traditional building techniques.
Our accredited conservation architects develop projects from first principles, including preparing conservation plans, and have the technical knowledge to specify faithful repairs. We are not afraid, when the time is right, to combine new with old, whether that be high quality contemporary design or technological features. However, this is always a well thought out intervention, considering all of the project parameters.
“The transformation will touch tens of thousands of lives. Our audiences and the children that we educate will benefit immensely from the new facilities. We’ll also boost the Bristol economy by tens of millions of pounds each year.” Louise Mitchell, Chief Executive, Bristol Music Trust
Bristol Beacon Bristol Bristol City Council The transformation of Bristol Beacon will see the venue become Bristol’s musical hub, with modern facilities fit for 2,500 people. The first phase of this large, complex project delivered a new foyer building, featuring an open informal performance space at its centre and a range of other flexible spaces to support education, outreach and conference programmes. Phase two involves sensitively restoring the listed building and Victorian second hall, refurbishing the back stage areas and creating new spaces for learning and creativity.
Devonshire Park Eastbourne Eastbourne Borough Council Dating from 1873, Devonshire Park has long been an attraction for the south coast. However, the facilities were in need of significant revitalisation and so we were appointed to carefully restore the listed theatres; enhance the tennis facilities and provide a new conference building. Throughout, our goal was to preserve the heritage of the three theatres whilst creating modern facilities. The key design driver was to transform the audience experience by improving comfort, accessibility and production quality.
“This is an extremely exciting project that will bring more people to Eastbourne, provide even better facilities for residents and support the sustainability of the park for future generations.� Councillor David Tutt, Leader of Eastbourne Borough Council
Our challenge here was to restore the dilapidated Grade I listed church and create a visually and acoustically stunning space for the London Symphony Orchestra. Externally, we focused on restoration, only adding a new roof and artists’ entrance on the site of the old vestry. Within, an entirely new interior was constructed. The volume of the church forms the main rehearsal, education and performance space. Below, the previously unsafe crypt was rebuilt to house a cafÊ, and extensions were excavated under the churchyard to create space for practice rooms, offices, plant and visitor facilities.
“St Luke’s now has a near perfect acoustic for chamber music: warm and supportive, yet also beautifully clear.” Richard Morrison, The Times
LSO St Luke’s Islington, London The St Luke Centre Management Company
Brunswick Centre Camden, London Allied London This pioneering medium-rise, high-density, inner-city neighbourhood, designed by Patrick Hodgkinson in the 1960s, was severely run-down when we were invited to restore, repair and improve it. Our approach was to complete the original architectural vision whilst making contemporary interventions. The central shopping street has been upgraded with a new anchor supermarket, enlarged retail units and extended shop fronts to provide more attractive spaces for retailers. The width of the vast concourse has been reduced by adding glass walkways, canopies and central seating, creating a more active and intimate streetscape.
“The revival of the Brunswick Centre has transformed a major blight into a thriving and lively area.� Regeneration & Renewal Awards judge
Under these proposals, the Grade II* listed London Road Fire Station will be transformed into a landmark mixed use development for the city. Built in 1906, it stands as one of the Manchester’s finest historic buildings, but has been left in a state of disrepair. Our refurbishment will restore it back to its former glory to provide a hotel, bars, restaurants, community uses and a museum. Within the excavated courtyard a new bar will provide a dramatic red pavilion at the heart of the old fire station’s transformation.
“One of the most loving restoration proposals of a listed building in the city’s history.” Town planner, Manchester City Council
London Road Fire Station Manchester Allied London
The Atkinson Southport Sefton Council This project combines three Grade II listed Victorian buildings on Southport’s handsome main street to form an integrated cultural centre, which includes performing arts, an art gallery, museum and library. The fine 19th Century gallery spaces have been upgraded to GIS standards to house touring exhibitions, and the centre’s two auditoria will now accommodate festival style events. The library has been expanded to include a café, music listening zones and new local studies suite that complements the museum and visual performing arts attractions.
“This project has transformed a private university building into one that can be enjoyed by all, whether school children involved in activities planned by Educational Opportunities, or people visiting the museum’s collections, the café, shop, lecture theatre or the magnificent building itself.” Rachel James, Consultant
Victoria Gallery and Museum Liverpool University of Liverpool The refurbishment of this underused university building has created valuable space for the Educational Opportunities Department and a number of historical collections. Our starting point was to make the most of Waterhouse’s stunning interiors, which through careful restoration are now visible to the wider public for the first time. A series of sensitive interventions have also ensured the building is more accessible. Externally, the only ailing element was the impressive clock tower, which was fully restored to establish the Victoria Building as a Liverpool landmark once more.
“This project brings enormous benefits for all members of the department. Among these are new specialist teaching labs, social hub spaces for the students that are in close proximity to their Professors, and vastly improved and entirely new research laboratories.” Professor Lars Stixrude, Head of Department, UCL Earth Sciences
Kathleen Lonsdale Building, UCL Camden, London University College of London This substantial Grade II listed, five storey building has been completely refurbished to create high quality, academic space for various departments within the Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences and to co-locate the entire Earth Science department for the first time in UCL’s history. Specialist laboratories, teaching rooms, research facilities and offices have been provided, supported by areas for socialising and group working, whilst issues of accessibility and wayfinding have also been addressed. Importantly, period features have been restored where possible, including the original staircase and glazed brick columns.
This competition-winning commission transformed this Grade II listed building into a 750-seat concert hall and multi-purpose public building. The scheme enables the performance space to convert rapidly from a fully seated to flat floor layout, and the acoustics can be varied to suit different requirements. A new ‘over-roof’ structure, supported by external columns, provides space for services and additional acoustic volume and retractable absorption panels. The design also allows for the future addition of a 200-seat and 500-seat auditoria for dance and drama.
Corn Exchange King’s Lynn Leisure & Tourism Department, Borough of King’s Lynn & West Norfolk
Alexandra Road Camden London Borough of Camden, South Hampstead Housing Cooperative Neave Brown first designed the Alexandra Road Estate in Swiss Cottage whilst working within LB Camden’s architecture department. When complete in 1979, the reinforced concrete structure contained 520 apartments, houses and maisonettes in three parallel buildings, alongside a park and extensive communal facilities. Now Grade II* listed, we were commissioned to resolve detail design issues and restore elements, which led the completion of a ‘warm and dry’ programme of works. Working with Neave Brown, we have sensitively repaired key details, securing the estate’s long term future. We have subsequently been appointed to undertake further internal enhancements, improve thermal efficiency and upgrade heating to homes, within the parameters of a listed building.
Built in 1819 and Grade I listed, this is the sole remaining working theatre from the Regency period in the UK. The project restores the auditorium, introducing original features and a decorative scheme based on extensive, detailed research. Improvements, including comfort cooling, are incorporated in a manner consistent with its role as a public service theatre, hosting a variety of medium sized productions. Finally, a new foyer extension on an adjoining garden gently touches the existing building – its shallow curved roof responding to the geometry of the theatre’s plan.
“An imposing yet intimate auditorium restored to full Regency splendour and public areas bought up to 21st Century standards.� Fiona Mountford, Evening Standard
Theatre Royal Bury St. Edmunds Theatre Royal, Bury St. Edmunads
Harvey Court Cambridge Gonville and Caius College We were commissioned to refurbish this seminal Grade II* listed collegiate building, ensuring all the new interventions respected its architectural heritage. Our design hinges around rethinking movement and linking the ground and first floor internally for the first time. The insertion of a new lift allowed us to reorientate the building, creating a new main entrance sensitively designed to reproduce the original detailing. New bathrooms have been ingeniously incorporated through utilising unused storage spaces, whilst communal facilities have been refurbished throughout. Finally, better insulation and solar panels lower the carbon footprint of the building.
“Levitt Bernstein had to be bold when updating the fabric and function of the building, but sensitive to the underlying spatial and material principles that make it such a remarkable example of 20th Century architecture.� Owen Pritchard, Blueprint Magazine
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