Hookway was engaged to project manage the conversion of office space into student accommodation. In an historic city centre location with retail to the ground floor the offices comprised three floors of a listed building. Many of the offices had been vacant for a long time and the whole building required refurbishment.
The challenge
Amongst the many challenges we faced was the preservation of a large area of historically significant oak wall panelling. We were asked to install an air source heating system, rewire and reroof the building and to create a communal kitchen area and bathrooms whilst preserving the panelling, ornate ceilings and fireplaces.
Both cost and the building’s users experience were paramount in the design and specification of this project; many other factors also had to be considered. We designed the new layout in consultation with the client, the fire officer and the conservation officer, ultimately achieving agreement for a new spacious layout.
The result
The works were a great success and the accommodation is proving highly popular as it makes a great space in which to live and study. During the works we uncovered a cast iron fire place that now takes pride of place in the third floor bedroom.
Hookway has subsequently refurbished and converted a second listed building in the vicinity and we are about to start work on a third property also of historical significance.
