Burghley House Garden of Surprises, Stamford
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Burghley House Garden of Surprises, Stamford Project: Longitudinal Dial No 10 Foundation Base Value: £Undisclosed Client: Burghley House Preservation Trust Sector: Heritage & Conservation Overview Burghley house is one of the UK’s grandest stately homes. It is set in over 9,000 acres of farm and woodland and lies in the centre of the market town of Stamford. Built and designed by William Cecil between 1555 and 1587 it forms the backdrop to the historic gardens and parkland laid out by Capability Brown. The longitudinal dial pictured is about the size of a small family car and forms part of one of Burghley House’s main visitor gardens the Garden of Surprises. This was inspired by the Elizabethan gardens at the house which were considered at the forefront of garden development in the 16th Century. The stone structure was designed in accordance with ancient monuments specifications to satisfy English Heritage, the Estate and their advisors. By drawing on construction techniques used as far back as the Egyptians, a hydraulic lime concrete mix was used. It was imperative that the mix was carefully selected to ensure that the material would set without air to carbonate it. Without this the foundations could potentially be saturated during construction. Waldeck Innovation A specific hydraulic lime concrete mix was developed for sub and superstructures by Waldeck. This ensured that the requirements of English Heritage were met and provided a consistent appearance within the prestigious grounds of Burghley House. Bridge Street Mural, Peterborough Project: Historic Mural Removement Value: £Undisclosed Client: Peterborough City Council Sector: Heritage & Conservation Completed: 2011 Overview Peterborough City Council sought expert structural advice from Waldeck on the proposed removal of the iconic mural facade to their Bridge House offices. The council offices at Bridge House were originally constructed by Mitchell Engineering Ltd in 1955 but are to be demolished to accommodate the proposed South Bank re-development. The mural is constructed from panels of carved Portland Whitbed Stone and depicts contributions to science and engineering with the overall size of the mural is 20m wide by 8m high. It is the intention of the council to re-erect the mural in a prominent location within the city, possibly a school or shopping complex. Waldeck Innovation The project utilised best industry practice and state of the art materials in the design of a specialist façade support structure involving liaison with specialist contractor and detailed discussions with Peterborough City Council regarding the relocation, transportation, re-erection and new support structure required to safely relocate the mural for the benefit of future generations. Waldeck are used to producing “Lean Solutions” being that they work for steel fabrications and precast manufactures. Proper engineering, not stick drawings. Daycare Facility, Boston Project: St Johns Workhouse Refurbishment Value: £1m Client: Lincolnshire Heritage Trust Sector: Heritage & Conservation Awards: English Heritage & RICS Overview The refurbishment of the St Johns Workhouse, a Grade II Listed Building, for Lincolnshire County Council received a Major National Award for Conservation from the RICS and English Heritage. David Start, Director of Heritage Lincolnshire, said: “We are delighted to have had our work recognised in this way. When a building is in disrepair and in danger of being lost, we try to look at a range of possible uses that will ensure that it has a viable future. Historic buildings can present a complicated range of problems to the would-be repairer. Surprises and unexpected difficulties lie ahead, however carefully you approach the project. Perfection is something you aim for but seldom achieve, however expert your builders and technical advisors. The main area of difficulty is how best to retain as much as you can of the original structure and its features, whilst at the same time adapting it for a new, modern, purpose.” The building, renamed Scott House, is now owned by Lincolnshire County Council and operates as a resource centre for adults with physical disabilities. Waldeck Innovation The majority of the building shell was stabilised by improving tying arrangements between walls, roofs and floors rather than partial reconstructions in order to retain as much of the original structure as practicable. Careful, sympathetic and innovative details were required in order to conceal the modern repairs and retain the original character of the building. Whilst once at threat of collapse it is now an excellent community asset thanks to collaborative working and an experienced, professional and client team applying modern lateral thinking to old technologies. Harley Street, London Project: Historic structural works Value: £2.1m Client: MacKenzie Wheeler Sector: Heritage & Conservation Completed: 2014 Overview Waldeck undertook a thorough survey of the structure alongside structural alterations to include the creation of a cinema at lower ground level; replacement of a reinforced concrete lower roof slab with a new roof slab incorporating a circular roof light; a new glazed enclosure at upper roof level; vertical extension of the existing lift shaft plus numerous smaller alterations. Waldeck Innovation For this project, Waldeck used their extensive experience of producing sympathetic solutions to refurbish and enhance buildings of national historic importance. Our knowledge of traditional and contemporary construction methods enabled us to breathe new life into this project, all whilst ensuring the unique period features of the property remained in place..