Site Diary - 16th Century Farmhouse
Structural remediation, extension and deep retro-fit on a beautiful stone farmhouse in Nanstallon, Cornwall.
A collaborative approach
By working closely with the client, structural engineering team and architects STUDIO/gather, this very special project has been a truly collaborative approach from Day 1, as the original structure has been carefully revealed to inform structural and design decisions. Great care has been taken to preserve the character and integrity of the building throughout the process. With the demolition and structural remediation phase almost complete, Spring will see us moving onto reinstating the internal walls in the existing cottage and preparing to frame the large extension.
See below for monthly updates on progress.
February
In February, the masons have cracked on in earnest. Every opening has been propped with acros and needles, and the team are making their way through over new 70 lintel installations (the walls are so thick that some openings are taking 6 or 7 new concrete lintels), and then building up the stonework back over each opening. Each lintel replacement needs to remain propped for up to two weeks following the stonework build-up, to allow the lime to dry.
Alongside the masons, the carpentry team have reinforced the existing roof trusses which were rotten at the wall plate where they met the stone wall, and installed new collar ties for the entire roof structure. We need to ensure that all structural remediation to the roof is completed before the end of April, including re-boarding the ceiling, as the presence of bats in the roof space means that we are prohibited from undertaking any works to the roof between April and October.
January
The first job on site at Nanstallon was an extensive strip out; opening up the building to allow the structural engineer access to assess the structural integrity of the building. Areas that needed assessing included the general state of the stonework, the integrity of lintels spanning wall openings and the two enormous fireplaces at each end of the building. Eventually, the first floor deck will also be removed in it’s entirety, but will be staying in situe until the remedial masonry on the first floor is completed.
We also demolished and removed a draughty single storey extension from the back of the building, to make way for a super insulated, dual-level timber framed extension.
