Studio Architects: CONVERSION

The vacant school building was purchased after the local junior school relocated, and natural subdivisions provided 2 unique flats and 1 spacious house with shared garage parking.

The building is Grade II listed, and extended during its life as a school, commencing with the schoolmaster’s house in the Victorian Gothic Style in the 1830s, and being extended in 1859 to provide a hall, with a further classroom in the 1890s.

Conversion work has involved inserting a new timber floor construction at a level that exploits window transoms, while maintaining headroom through the roof structure and replacing the Victorian horizontal tie rods with plywood stressed skin partitions to maintain the stability at eaves level. Several double height spaces emphasise the volume and structural features of the original building.

The building has been adopted to accommodate the mobility needs of the owner, with ramps between living areas, a discreet platform-lift between the principal levels, and fully accessible shower rooms. Some new features have also been added to provide exciting drama to the large spaces, primarily new fireplaces, stairs and French windows onto a balcony.