Gasworks

The Gasworks was a redundant stone structure built in 1877 as a private acetylene gas works to provide gas for lighting to the large house at the centre of the nearby estate.  The brief was to refurbish the existing building and add an additional converted extension for accommodation.

The design had to be aware of the demands of the location in an Area of Outstanding National Beauty in rural Gloucestershire, topography, and environmental issues around soil contamination.  The approach was to create a new element which respected the industrial history and nature of the site, a building that sits well in its environment and maximises the views out into the surrounding woodland.

In centering the new building around an existing buried circular pit, we created a courtyard ambulatory, glazed into the private courtyard and serving the radiating bedrooms.  The connection to the existing building was kept to a small door-sized opening with a linking corridor, tapered as it grows into the main circulation space.

The choice of sustainably sourced building materials reflects the client’s requirements.  The building is clad in Cor-Ten steel on a sustainably sourced timber frame. Steel is one of the most recycled building materials available and retains an extremely high overall recycling rate. In 2012 this stood at 88 per cent worldwide.

The insulation to both the walls and roof is taken to a higher level than is required under building regulations and is made up of Warmcell Insulation.  This product is manufactured from recycled waste paper, which is converted to a green, eco-friendly high-performance insulation.