Heritage & Reimagining Historic Buildings
Chartered RIBA architect, associate and Conservation Registrant Robyn Pilling, talks about specialising in heritage and conservation at ZMA
Whilst you may know that ZMA specialise in sensitive sites, you may not realise that all of those schemes have heritage implications. Even many of our new-build schemes are within settings of heritage assets and whilst a building may not be listed or within a Conservation Area, it may still be considered a Non-Designated Heritage Asset, or be linked to the history of the area and considered to be important.
Heritage schemes can include work to, or work within the setting of Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas, Buildings of Townscape Merit, Non-Designated Heritage Assets or Scheduled Listed Monuments.
Building on our experience of working on a variety of heritage schemes, we are now on the RIBA Conservation Register, and proud to embrace the history of the sites and buildings we work on.
Some of our heritage projects have included listed barn conversions, medieval farm transformations, Non-Designated Heritage Asset farmsteads and farmhouses, mill conversions, a new-build eco-home within the Conservation Area and projects within the setting of Scheduled Listed Monuments.
At ZMA we all share a passion for conservation architecture and reimagining existing buildings, ensuring the history of the building is maintained and respected.
During our initial work stage, we undertake historic research to understand what constitutes the ‘original building’, the key characteristics, and the various stages of development over time. This research then informs the design providing detailed justification at the planning stage and communicated through our heritage statements.
It is also important to be aware ‘heritage’ doesn’t automatically mean traditional – while it is important to celebrate and enhance the history and character of a building, modern interventions to old buildings can be proposed which allows the old and new elements to remain legible. Working on heritage schemes is extremely rewarding when you are able to breathe new life into a derelict building and safeguard the building for the next generation.
If you love heritage schemes as much as we do and have a scheme that requires a re-design, new use or conversion, then contact us with your project address and a brief description of what you want to achieve – and we will take it from there!
Zara Moon Architects
The Barn at Fieldings Farm
Whalley Banks, Whalley BB7 9JL
01200 403840
zaramoonarchitects.co.uk
