Heritage
Shaping the Future Through Stories of the Past
We play a crucial role by acting as a curator of a building’s story. We integrate these stories into the design and planning process, ensuring that the building not only meets compliance and legislative requirements but also resonates with the wider conversations around identity and heritage.
This approach creates a framework that allows for true community ownership, with a development plan evolving in parallel with the business plan, reflecting the collective aspirations and historical significance of the the building.
Listed buildings & historic assets
As RIBA Specialist Conservation Architects. We work on Grade I, Grade II* and Grade II listed buildings, buildings in conservation areas, historic assets at risk and heritage-led regeneration projects across the UK.
We love breathing new life into buildings that need a new future, and are experienced in the adaptive reuse of forgotten or neglected spaces. We understand significance in its fullest sense; not just the architectural and historic value of a building, but its social, spiritual and communal value, and what it means to the people and places connected to it.
We know how to navigate the full complexity of heritage projects: listed building consent, Historic England, conservation area appraisals, Diocesan Advisory Committees, Building Preservation Trusts and heritage funding bodies. And we know how to bring clients through that process.
Our Director, Stefanie Stead MBE, is a RIBA Published Author whose forthcoming book on community architecture draws directly on years of working with heritage organisations, trusts and custodians of historic buildings across the UK. She has spoken extensively on intangible heritage at the Universities of York and Leeds, the RIBA and the CIOB.
How we canWork With you
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Understanding the condition of a historic building is always the starting point. We carry out detailed condition surveys and building assessments that give you a clear, honest picture of what you are working with — the building's significance, its condition, its risks and its potential. Our reports are written to be genuinely useful, not technical documents that sit in a filing cabinet.
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When changes are proposed to a listed building or a building within a conservation area, a Heritage Impact Assessment sets out how those changes affect the building's significance and why they are justified.
We prepare clear, well-argued assessments grounded in a thorough understanding of the building and its context, giving your application the strongest possible foundation with planning authorities and Historic England.
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Many of our clients come to us without a specific brief. They know they want to do something, and they may have a problem that needs to be solved, but not a clear path. That’s ok! This is something we can absolutely help you with. We can help you write the brief that may develop into a project with us, or develop into a project for elsewhere.
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Depending on your project, a feasibility study can be a series of concept drawings or an indepth document with costings. Many feasibility studies can be funded through grants, although applying for these may be challenging if there is a lack of clarity as to what the feasibility study will achieve. For a small fee, we will bring together key considerations into a short document that can be used to apply for grant funding for a feasibility study.
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Retaining and reimagining existing historic buildings is almost always the more responsible, more sustainable and more community-centred choice.
We specialise in adaptive reuse, finding new uses for historic buildings that respect their significance, serve their communities and secure their long-term future.
From mills and industrial buildings to civic assets, historic town centres and buildings on the Heritage at Risk register, we have experience breathing new life into buildings that matter, working closely with communities, funders and local authorities to make heritage-led regeneration happen.
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Securing grant funding is often what makes a heritage project possible. We have direct experience supporting heritage organisations, building preservation trusts and community trusts through successful applications to the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Architectural Heritage Fund, Historic England and other grant bodies, and we understand what strong applications look like from the inside.
Our approach begins with understanding the building’s tangible and intangible heritage, which may include engagement with a local community and currrent users of the building. This forms the basis of how we proceed with the development ogf the building or space.
Heritage projects require a careful, well-prepared approach from the very first conversation. We offer the full range of services heritage clients need, from condition surveys and early strategic advice through to design, planning and delivery on site.
We have worked with a wide range of clients with heritage assets including homeoweners, theatre groups, faith groups ad community organisations, delivering projects including private homes, Otley Common, Bradford Playhouse and Yeadon war memorial.
