GII* Listed Hall South Norfolk

Refurbishment of a Grade II* Listed Hall

Winner - High Commendation Award - Norfolk DCA (Design and Craftsmanship Award) 2019.

The project comprises the removal and replacement of a late 20th Century addition to an early c.16th Grade II* listed oak-framed house in rural South Norfolk. Further works included a complementary addition to the Kitchen area and full refurbishment of the existing property. The structural Oak frame of the building had been badly attacked by Deathwatch beetle, and the renovation works have been carefully undertaken over a period of 3 years, with the project due for completion in early 2019. The work has been undertaken with meticulous detail, from the heavy carpentry work which was all jointed together in the traditional manner, to the new bespoke joinery which is achingly beautiful in solid oak.

The project has seen many challenges including the discovery of a well in the kitchen extension footprint, to the discovery of great crested newts on site. All of these challenges have been responded to and the project has resulted in an astonishingly high quality home.

The Judges praised the project for its' high level of craftsmanship in Joinery and traditional plastering skills. It was executed as a design led design and build project by SA Architectural Services and our Sister Construction Company.

Due to the huge amount of structural work needed to support the building, insulation has been provided in the majority of the external walls. This has resulted in a warm and more energy efficient home, which is now powered by two 14KW Mitsubishi Ecodan Air source heat pumps, replacing the clapped out oil boiler. This gives the building enhanced eco credentials, and has preserved this important building for generations to come. It now reaches similar levels of energy efficiency as a modern built extension, which is remarkable for a building of this age. The property no longer relies on fossil fuels for heating or cooking.

The new extensions create two further family rooms, looking out onto an existing garden. The extensive glazing in the two gable ends draw light into the centre of the hall, and a high quality modern aesthetic to the rear elevation.

The extensions present a contrasting character to the old house, with the new spaces being open and light, with large glazed areas overlooking an adjacent meadow. The hall, meanwhile, feels all the more valuable a retreat with low beamed ceilings and cosy fireplaces. We frequently find that a new addition to an old building benefits the character of both spaces. We like to find an architectural expression for the new building that isn’t simply a contrast between ‘old’ and ‘new’, but takes some of the qualities of the existing building and re-imagines them in the extension.

Now complete in 2019, this project is due to be nominated for various industry awards, partly due to the aesthetics, but also the sheer volume and quality of the workmanship. As stated above the first of these is a prestigious Commendation at the biennial DCA Awards 2019, beating off stiff competition from many other conservation projects undertaken in our great County in the five year period 2014-2019.

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GII* Listed Hall South Norfolk

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Refurbishment of a Grade II* Listed Hall

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