Purcell Shortlisted for Seven Projects in the RICS Awards

Purcell is delighted to have been shortlisted for seven projects in the RICS awards for 2019. The award ceremonies will take place across twelve national regions from 16 April — 30 May. Here are Purcell’s shortlisted projects:

Wildernesse House

Regeneration, Residential, South East Region

Purcell regenerated Wildernesse House in Sevenoaks, Kent, through an extensive restoration and renovation programme. This involved transforming the Grade II Listed Georgian building into 23 high-end, luxury apartments. Spa facilities, communal spaces, and wellness areas were created within the stately home, where residents will soon enjoy a level of service reflecting that of a traditional country estate.

Purcell was the architect of the restoration and conversion of Wildernesse House as well as the heritage consultant for the entire site, on which the practice has worked since feasibility stage in 2013.

St Fagans

Community Benefit, Wales Region

St Fagans restoration and extension by Purcell created new galleries, learning studios, and spaces for hospitality and retail brings improved orientation and legibility to the award-winning building, giving it the entrance it never had. With operation and estate managers, catering and retail staff, educationalists and curators — the architectural response went beyond stitching together new and existing spaces to effectively stitching together of a broad range of opinions, demands and ambitions. Read more here…

Harveys’ Foundry

Regeneration, South West Region

Harvey’s Foundry is a two-hectare site on the western side of the town and is a designated World Heritage Site and contains many statutory listed buildings. Parts of the site have been re-used in two earlier phases of re-development to provide award-winning workspace for small businesses. However, the majority of the site, containing most of the important remaining buildings, remains unused.

Purcell was appointed by the Harvey’s Foundry Trust to develop a scheme to repair and convert two derelict Grade II listed warehouse buildings and design a new lean-to extension to provide additional workspace.

Plymouth Cathedral

Building Conservation, South West Region

3 phases of works by Purcell, predominantly funded by the World War I Centenary Cathedral Repairs Fund, have entirely overhauled the effects of individually modest but nonetheless deleterious defects and exhausted materials and workmanship to the mother church of the Catholic faith in Plymouth, Cathedral Church of SS. Mary & Boniface by JA Hansom, 1858. Phase 1 repaired the high-level external fabric, phase 2 the low-level external, and internal fabric, and phase 3 installed a new conservation heating system.

Cromford Mills

Regeneration, East Midlands Region

Sir Richard Arkwright constructed the world’s first successful water-powered cotton spinning mill at Cromford in 1771. Purcell was commissioned to convert the disused Building 17 to create a ground floor World Heritage Site Gateway to enhance visitor access and provide a creative media centre on the Grade I listed building’s upper floors.

We implemented a two-fold scheme comprising a visitor centre, telling the story of the valley and providing a starting point for visitors to the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site, and a creative media centre on the building’s upper floors. This reflects the County Council and Development Agency research, consisting of small office suites with a central first-floor reception facility, shared meeting rooms, and other supporting accommodation. Read more here…

University of Northampton Engine Shed

Building Conservation, East Midlands Region

Purcell was appointed as Conservation Architects and Heritage Consultants for the regeneration of the Grade II listed, fire damaged shed in the grounds of the University of Northampton. The shed, along with the adjacent office building has become the university’s new Student’s Union. Purcell carried out a condition survey on the building and was subsequently appointed to introduce design solutions to upgrade the external envelope to meet BREEAM

excellent and accessibility standards.