Context 159 - May 2019

C O N T E X T 1 5 9 : M A Y 2 0 1 9 15 Building services team, including architects Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, structural engineers AKT II and build- ing services engineers E3 Consulting Engineers developed a master plan in 2010, comprising a combination of commercial, interpretation, community and residential uses. The scheme was successful in gaining plan- ning and listed building consent in 2010, and Heritage Lottery funding in 2012. The project is now being delivered in phases, which started with the office and stables buildings, which have been restored and opened as a visitor centre in 2015. Structural and envelope repairs to the Main Mill building followed and were com- pleted in December 2018. The roof restoration included around 15,000 new Welsh slates, and more than 30,000 handmade, oversized bricks were made by Northcot Brick Limited to repair the walls. The next phases of work involve delivering an exhibition and cafe on the ground floor of the Main Mill, and four floors of commercial space on the upper levels. The adjacent kiln will have structural repairs and a new roof, and will be converted into a spectacular entrance and vertical circulation space to gain access to the upper floors of the Main Mill. The design of the kiln will facilitate access to the Cross Mill and warehouse, enabling them to be developed in future phases. Structural and fabric repair work will continue through 2019, and the building services fit-out will follow in 2020. A new car park will be constructed in a wedge of land between the listed buildings and the adjacent railway line. Mechanical and electrical design The main philosophy underpinning the design of the mechanical and electrical systems for the project is to maximise the flexibility of the building for future occupants. The future end-users of the Main Mill building are yet to be identified, and the ultimate use of other buildings such as the Cross Mill and warehouse is speculative at present. The Main Mill building is well suited to a commercial use. The newly re-introduced Flaxmill-sized windows provide excellent natu- ral daylight, and the windows have been detailed with sufficient free area to provide natural cross-ventilation along the floorplate.The design allows future tenants to install partitions to create cellular workspaces and meeting rooms, using sound-attenuated air-transfer paths through the partitions to maintain the ability for wind-driven cross-ventilation. E3 Consulting Engineers has carried out daylight and thermal simulation to test the design approach for a number of differ- ent potential fit-out options. The approach for the kiln is to create an atrium-style circulation space which will be covered but unheated, akin to a railway station. Here the focus is to provide ventilation through the limited facade openings and to introduce a glazed roof lantern to allow natural daylight to penetrate down through the space. Cost efficiency has been a key driver for the project, given the limited budget available from funding bodies, the risk profile of the scheme, and the long duration on site. As a result, the design has focused on simplicity, using known and reliable technologies that are affordable to operate and maintain. Constraints As with many heritage projects, the buildings have a number of constraints that the design has needed to work around. These include: Architectural The building has solid con- crete floors, solid masonry walls and exposed A historic photo of the Main Mill (Photo: Shropshire Archives)