Building / Site Re-use Evaluation
Re-cycling historic buildings by re-purposing or changing their use has become an important part of retaining our national built heritage. However, if not properly understood or designed then these projects can fall foul of many obstacles that may be found in the route to their re-use. We can employ our broad scope of knowledge to smooth the route to taking a property in a new direction to help ensure its continued survival and use.
The potential for re-using a structure is often a fairly simple decision where it is selected and the potential for a new use is explored and found to be apparently viable. What is often not properly taken into account is how the change will be properly implemented, the planning implications, any conversion works that might be necessary, and all within an acceptable budget. HBAS can help from the earliest stages of the concept development right the way through to completion.
Our involvement often starts by looking at the structure, listening to the ideas of what it is to become and then assisting to fine tune this stage to enable it to get underway, which can include budget preparation and assistance with other financial forecasting. We can then help and prepare any design modification that might be necessary and then develop that into formal planning applications for the change of use, as well as any statutory consents that may be required. Once everything is set to go then we can help get the work undertaken and ensure that the required workmanship and build standards are achieved, and the project is delivered on time and to budget.
Change of use projects that we have been involved with have included redundant farm buildings into commercial premises and tourism units, shop into residential accommodation and offices and garages to flats. However, a re-use of site might not involve a change of use, but can be like-for-like use, such as a small bungalow on a site redeveloped into a modern family sized eco-house, or a small hotel into a larger tourism scheme.