18-20 Lower Hillgate, The Underbanks

Background

Situated in the heart of the bustling market town of Stockport, this historic building forms part of The Underbanks Conservation Area in Stockport, situated on a pedestrian street. With our vast experience in working on similar projects we were appointed to refurbish the façade of the building and extensive internal alterations

Our Conservation Works included

•Basement tanking and waterproofing•Stripping out of the existing floors•Stripping of the roof slates and roof structure•Carefully remove existing shopfronts, windows, signs, external shutters and doorways•Stabilisation of the existing building with lateral restraints•Removal of the existing render•Replacement of bricks•Reinstate original side door reveals•Stripping of the masonry paint to the back elevation and window cills/heads•New lime re-pointing•New timber joists and flooring•New timber structure and roof trusses•Re-slating•New staircases•New traditional shopfronts •New sliding sash windows •New panelled doors

Key Challenges & Stipulations Met

•Complex access pertaining to location on pedestrian street•Stringent H&S Requirements•Consideration of local community, shoppers and traders•Manage security requirements•Weekly progress reporting•Small confined working environment•Regular liaison with council conservation officer

‘I just wanted to say a very big thank you to you all for your hard work on 18-20 Lower Hillgate. what a great transformation this project is! Although small in size, this building has made a huge impact on the street. We have had plenty of positive comments from the locals. You guys should be very proud of the work you've done here, it's fantastic. As with most historic buildings, there's been a few tricky and unforeseen issues on site, but your willingness to work together to solve these problems has been brilliant. The whole Aura team have been a pleasure to work with, so thank you’. – Paul Kelsall - Architect