Built in 1899 by Henry Joseph Van Trump the Collar Factory, alongside two sister factories in Bridgwater, manufactured collars, shirts and other items of clothing. This continued until 1964, after which the building was taken over by Barnicotts, and put into other use. The building was next bought by Somerset County Cricket Club in 2002 and sat dormant for almost twenty years, until saved by Forward Space who applied for listed building consent in 2017 to transform the building into office and events spaces, with a new build café area to one side.
Corbel worked closely alongside both Forward Space and SHAPE Design to advise on the repair scheme and design the extensive new M&E system that would facilitate the state-of-the-art office facility. Once a clear way forward was established works commenced in late 2020 with the initial phase being to make the building wind and watertight. This involved a large scaffold with temporary roof to cover the whole building (which stood at over 30 meters long) and allowed the existing roof to be stripped and a new roof structure constructed with salvaged triple delta tiles.
Elsewhere we carried out extensive brick, stone and pointing repairs to the façade and numerous structural interventions to make the building stable and fit for purpose. The structural works included new plywood diaphragm floors and steel columns from top to bottom over all three floors to support the additional loads that would be imparted by the new use. Lastly on the façade, but by no means least, was the mammoth task of repairing and overhauling all the windows, that numbered in excess of one hundred. This was done using a minimal intervention approach to ensure as much of the original Victorian windows were preserved and was finished off with an imposing dark graphite paint scheme that really balanced the large windows in their openings.
Within the building new M&E was installed inclusive of an air conditioning system that would control the volatile temperatures in the hot and cold months due to the large amounts of single glazed glass panes. We installed sound insulated studwork to form the new office suites and dry lined throughout to receive new decorations. Internal brick walls were stripped of modern vinyl paints to allow them to breath, however the traces of limewash were left to maintain that industrial feel. On the ground floor a huge polished concrete slab was laid over the poor existing concrete to provide a slick and level surface and a brand-new café building was constructed to give amenity for the users of the building.
The building is now inhabited and well used and equipped for 21st century function, without losing its industrial feel. This is a real achievement given that the building stood empty for two decades and was almost demolished had it not been for a hasty spot listing. This is a perfect example of how re-use or re-purpose is far often a better solution compared with demolition and new build, not just in terms of embodied carbon but also in terms of the character of our towns and cities and the preservation of our industrial heritage.
Client: Forward Space
Architect: Shape Design
Project duration: 22 months.
Project value: £2.2 Million
