March 2021

LMF Laboratory Refurbishment, Level B, , the University of

Design and Access Statement

Ref: 20007

Construction & Property Consultants

Unit 1, Hussar Court 0114 233 1126 [email protected] Sheffield S6 2GZ castleowen.com

Authorisation

This document has been prepared by:

Ana-Maria Oprea BA(Hons) Architecture

PGC Architecture (Part II)

Architectural Technologist

and authorised for issue by:

Richard Owen BSc MRICS MCIOB IMaPS Director

Construction & Property Consultants

Unit 1, Hussar Court 0114 233 1126 Hillsborough Barracks [email protected] Sheffield S6 2GZ castleowen.com

Contents

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Site Location

1.2 Existing Use of Site

1.3 Listing Description

2.0 Proposed Works

2.1 Requirement of Works

2.2 Works Proposed

3.0 Assessment of Heritage Significance

3.1 Historic Context

3.2 Heritage Losses & Gains

4.0 Conclusion

LMF Lab Refurbishment Firth Court, the Design and Access Statement

1.0 Introduction

This Design and Access Statement has been prepared by Castle Owen Construction & Property Ltd. in support of a Listed Building Consent application for the proposed internal alterations resulting in the application of White matt film to three windows and their internal blocking up on Level B, Firth Court, the University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield.

This statement confirms that the new arrangements will be constructed within the footprint of the Grade II listed Firth Court. The proposed works will provide a much needed upgrade of existing office for staff and students based in the building. The proposed window works have been designed and placed in a manner which has regard to and respect for the existing site and context, and does not cause harm or detract from the acknowledged importance of the heritage asset they are housed in.

Figure 1: Location plan with site marked in red.

1.1 Site Location

The site is contained within the northern side of a quadrangle which forms part of the Firth Court complex of buildings at the University of Sheffield. Firth Court forms the historic core of the University and is situated alongside the A57 on Western Bank. At the western boundary of Firth Court is Weston Park and beyond is the Grade II* . There is a mix of building types adjacent to the site some of which also form part of the University of Sheffield Estate. The majority of the buildings are constructed from red brick however there are also examples of sandstone, zinc, and render within the vicinity.

LMF Lab Refurbishment Firth Court, the University of Sheffield Design and Access Statement

1.2 Existing Use of Site

The areas requiring refurbishment currently provide office space for the University’s Faculty of Science and remains an important and active part of the university campus. The windows on the north elevation appears to be aluminium replacements of the original steel framed windows which were probably installed as part of an earlier refurbishment of the office spaces.

1.3 Listing Description

Firth Court is listed under the Planning (Listed Building and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special Architectural or historic interest. The text of the listing obtained from the National Heritage List of is as follows:

Name: Edgar Allen Building, Firth Hall, Rotunda and Quadrangle

List Entry Number: 1247504

Statutory Address: Edgar Allen Building, Firth Hall and Quadrangle, Western Bank, Sheffield

Grade: II

Date first listed: 28-Jun-1973

Date of most recent amendment: 12-Dec-1995

National Grid Reference: SK 34073 87316

Details:

University hall, and former library, now offices, and adjoining laboratories and lecture rooms forming 3 sides of a quadrangle. Main block 1903-1905, rotunda (former library) 1909-1911, quadrangle 1914. Later C20 alterations. All by E Mitchel Gibbs. Gibbs drew up plans for a double quadrangle, but this was never completed. Red brick with ashlar dressings and slate roofs. Perpendicular Revival style. EXTERIOR: plinth, string courses, machicolated eaves, crenellated parapets, coped gables. Windows are mainly mullioned and cross mullioned with stone mullions and surrounds. Main block, to right, 2 storeys plus basement and attics; 7 window range. Steep pitched roof with 3 gablets, topped with an octagonal wooden lantern with spire and weather vane. Central shallow canted oriel window with 3-light window and flanking lights, and on either side, 3 similar 3-light windows, all with panel tracery. Central moulded elliptical arched entrance with mid C20 brick cheeks and concrete lintel carrying a crest. On either side, three 3-light windows with label moulds, Below, to right, 2 similar windows to the basement, without label moulds. Right return has a central 3 storey canted bay window with a 3-light window on each floor,

LMF Lab Refurbishment Firth Court, the University of Sheffield Design and Access Statement

the first floor one much taller. Above, a 2-light pointed arch window with hoodmould in the gable. To right, a 6-storey octagonal tower with crenellated parapet, with three 2-light mullioned windows on the lower 4 floors, 2 cross mullioned windows on the next floor, and a 2-light mullioned window at the top. Left return has a 2 storey canted bay window with a 3-light window on each floor, and a 2-light pointed arch window to the attic. To left, a tall rectangular block, 6 storeys; 2 x 2 windows. Front has to right an octagonal stair tower, 7 storeys, with crenellated parapet. 3 lower floors have two stepped 2-light cross casements, the next floor a single cross casement, then 4 floors with 2-light mullioned windows, and finally 2 small slit windows in the parapet. To left of the tower, 2 small windows on the 2 lower floors, then 2 floors with single cross casements, then a single light, and finally a 2-light mullioned window. To left, a gable with two 3- light windows, and above, a similar window to left. Below, a canted bay window with 3 lights, and a 3-light window to its right. To left, a single storey glazed corridor to the rotunda. Corridor has a pointed arched glazed double door and a large lancet window. Octagonal rotunda, 2 storeys plus basement, has plinth, sillband, crenellated parapet and partly glazed pyramidal roof. 7 canted bay windows each with a 4-light mullion window with panelled transoms with shields and 2-light similar sidelights. Below, a 4-light mullioned window with 2-light flanking windows to the ground floor and the basement. West front, 3 storeys, has a central projecting gable, 3 windows, with segmental bow window flanked by single 3-light windows, and above, a 3-light window with hoodmould flanked by single 2-light mullioned windows. Ground floor has an elaborate stone doorway with mullioned overlight, flanked by single 3-light windows. Beyond, on either side, 3 storey ranges with 3 windows on each floor, the upper ones being transomed gabled dormers. Beyond, single large projecting gables with 3 windows on each floor, the second floor central window with a shouldered pointed head. Beyond, end bays with 2 windows on each floor, the right one with corridor to the Rotunda. Inside the quadrangle, the main block has a central canted 2 storey oriel window with a 5-light transomed mullion window, with smaller windows and doors below. To left, three 3-light and two 2-light windows, and to right, 3 paired 2-light windows. Below, on either side, 3 paired 2-light windows. To left, a canted 3 storey tower with a 4-centred arched door in the return angle, with a mullioned overlight. Left block, 4 storeys; 15 window range, has central entrance and shallow second floor oriel under central gable, which is flanked by 6 gabled dormers to left, and 6 to right. At the corner, a 6 storey octagonal stair tower with 4-centred arched door and a window on each floor. Rear block, 4 storeys; 10 window range, has central 4- centred arched entrance and 3 first floor oriel windows. 10 gabled dormers. At the right corner, an octagonal stair tower. To its right, a projecting block with large left gable with crocketed pinnacles. Central 2 storey crenellated oriel window with 4 lights on each floor, and below a 5-light traceried window. Left return has 2 windows on each floor. To right, a range with 3 windows on each floor and 3 gabled dormers. To right again, a gable with 3 windows on each floor. INTERIOR: entrance has wrought-iron gates and 2 moulded Tudor arches with half-glazed double doors and overlights. Entrance hall has 2 similar arches and open well cantilever stone stair with cross beam ceiling above. Ground floor spinal corridor has moulded brick Tudor arched openings. First floor corridor has similar arches and arch braced roof with wall shafts. Firth Hall has arch braced principal rafter roof with drops and wall plate decorated with shields. 3 pairs of glazed double doors, 2 of them with side and top lights. Corridor to rotunda has curved beamed ceiling and a pair of doors on each side. Stone steps to stilted arched entrance to rotunda. Rotunda has a circular arcade with clustered piers and transoms with portrait masks of university benefactors, and moulded Tudor arches. Arch braced roof with leaded glazed octagonal skylight, also arch braced. Cantilevered concrete winder stair with traceried wrought-iron balustrade. Fittings include a Gothic arched freestanding war memorial, 1926, by H St John Harrison, and marble bust of Mark Firth, 1879. Repousse copper door furniture and octagonal lanterns. (The Buildings of England: Pevsner N: Yorkshire: The West Riding: London: 1967-: 459).

LMF Lab Refurbishment Firth Court, the University of Sheffield Design and Access Statement

Figure 2: Early aerial photograph of the University of Sheffield c.1920

2.0 Proposed Works

2.1 Requirement for Works

The University of Sheffield’s Faculty of Science has around four and a half thousand students working in a range of areas including animal and plant sciences, biomedical science, and biotechnology. The faculty’s research has been internationally recognised and described as world- leading in several fields. In order to maintain and enhance this high level of research output the faculty requires its existing staff office on B floor to be refurbished as a new laboratory space. Due to the sensitive nature of the experiments to be undertaken in this laboratory, the internal environment needs to be tightly controlled regarding light levels and temperature. The design intent is to apply white matte light blocking film to three windows facing the internal service alley of Firth Court and to block them up internally to allow for the formation of a tightly controlled laboratory environment. This proposed change is in keeping with existing window modifications visible on the existing elevation facing the internal servicing alley.

LMF Lab Refurbishment Firth Court, the University of Sheffield Design and Access Statement

Figure 3: Existing Internal Service Street Elevation

2.2 Works Proposed

It is the applicant’s intention to remodel the existing office space by creating a new and installing a single leaf doorset and levelling the existing floor across the proposed refurbished space. After an initial strip out of the existing office furniture, the floor will be levelled with a levelling compound and a new door opening will be formed in the eastern internal wall. The window surrounds will be cleaned of any debris and prepared for the application of a white matte light blocking film and the opening handles to be removed prior to the internal blocking up of the windows with timber studs with insulation packed in between. A sheet of 18mm marine grade plywood followed by 12.5mm plasterboard are to be applied to the internal face of the new studs, to create a flush finish with the existing internal wall face. As a result, the external appearance of the window will remain virtually the same, however the window will not be used for ventilation purposes as they will not be openable.

3.0 Assessment of Heritage Significance

3.1 Historic Context

LMF Lab Refurbishment Firth Court, the University of Sheffield Design and Access Statement

The University of Sheffield was founded by Royal Charter in 1905 following the merger of three older institutions, Sheffield School of Medicine, Firth College and Sheffield Technical School, in

1897. It is one of the six ‘red brick’ universities founded in the early 20th century in predominantly industrial cities to provide further education for citizens away from ancient institutions like Oxford and Cambridge. The site at Western Bank, named Firth Hall after Sheffield industrialist Mark Firth, was designed in the Perpendicular Gothic Revival style and opened in 1905 to house the new University’s Arts, Science and Medicine departments. Firth Hall was enlarged between 1909 and 1911 by Gibbs & Flockton Architects with a new library designed to resemble a medieval chapter house and additional buildings which formed the quadrangle which is still visible today. The original plans proposed a double quadrangle but this was never completed and the new complex of buildings was renamed Firth Court. During the 1950s and 60s the university expanded to cater for an increase in student numbers and buildings like the Alfred Deny Building, Library, and were built up around the Edwardian core of Firth Court.

Figure 5: 25-inch to 1-mile map published in 1923 showing Firth Court and the surrounding buildings. (National Library of Scotland)

3.2 Heritage Losses & Gains

The existing site contains historic fabric from the original 1909 construction and from more recent renovations. The most important feature of the rooms affected by the refurbishment are the moulded stone window surrounds. These surrounds, which are to be protected and retained, contain metal window frames – many of which have been previously refurbished when the rooms were converted to laboratories or during a significant upgrade of the facilities. Our current proposal has minimal impact on the visual aesthetic of the building and on any of the original listed elements. The proposed white window film is in keeping with existing window alterations on Level B. The windows in the immediate vicinity of the proposed works have been treated in a similar fashion to allow for a similar internal laboratory environment. All the proposed internal blocking of

LMF Lab Refurbishment Firth Court, the University of Sheffield Design and Access Statement

the existing windows can be reversed at a later date, should the University ever change the use of the proposed laboratory space. The windows are to be retained in their existing form and can be restored to full openable function should it be required. The internal service alley elevation contains a variety of glazing and frame types due to the building’s ongoing use as a university facility.

We consider the heritage losses on this project to be minimal given the large amount of surviving fabric from elsewhere in the building.

Figure 6: Proposed Internal Service Street Elevation with proposed works highlighted in red

4.0 Conclusion

In seeking to continue its work of making its estate a world leading centre of scientific research, the University of Sheffield propose to upgrade the existing office space on B Floor of Firth Court into laboratory space. The minor externally visible modifications necessary for this refurbishment are not considered to have any major impact on historic fabric of significant value and the proposed works have been designed to be easily reversed should there be a future remodelling or change of use. The new proposed grated vent to be inserted has been carefully selected in order to provide visual continuity while giving the upgrades in safety, air tightness and thermal performance that the client requires.

LMF Lab Refurbishment Firth Court, the University of Sheffield Design and Access Statement