Chapter 2: Understanding the existing building and place

Heritage Design Risk for Architects0% complete · about 56 min left

2. Understanding the existing building and place

Page 1 of 3 · What does the building show?

Project moment

The commission has started. The architect visits The Old Vicarage before developing options for the rear extension, ground-floor changes and energy work.

The list entry and client papers provide a starting point. The building now raises more specific questions: altered rear rooms, exposed timber, possible earlier openings, internal doors, incomplete records and the relationship between house, garden, wall and coach house.

Your task

Identify the most useful heritage action during the visit.

Use the Project Material on the right, then answer below. →Use the Project Material above, then answer below.

For this page

INITIAL VISIT NOTE
• The ground floor has been altered; the kitchen occupies part of the rear range.
• A former doorway is visible as a change in wall finish.
• Several internal doors appear early or original; others are later.
• The rear range has a lower ceiling and exposed timber in one room.
• The roof space has not been inspected.
• The garden is enclosed by a brick boundary wall; the detached former coach house sits at the far end of the plot.
• No complete record of earlier kitchen, window or service work is available.

Earlier project material

Your initial view

What is the most useful Heritage Record entry after this first visit?

The rear range is low significance because it has been altered and contains a modern kitchen, so it can absorb the extension and new opening without further study.The exposed timber proves that the rear range is the oldest and most significant part of the house, so the extension should be designed to avoid it entirely.Record what is visible, and list the rear range, internal doors, altered openings, roof space, boundary wall and coach house as needing further understanding.No design discussion can take place until every room and feature has been fully investigated.

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2. Understanding the existing building and place, page 1 of 3: What does the building show?

1Project moment

Identify the most useful heritage action during the visit.

3Your initial view

Project moment

Your initial view