An ambitious redevelopment and refurbishment of a Grade II listed building owned by Grantham College has commenced following a thoughtful redesign by multi-disciplinary design practice, rg+p.
Dating back to 1858, Stonebridge House was originally a private residence and its potted history includes use as a school and police offices, before Grantham College purchased the site in 2012. Currently home to the Department of Creative Media but requiring modernisation, Stonebridge House is one of three sites in the college’s overall masterplan, which was devised by rg+p.
Its redevelopment will reconfigure existing internal space and reclaim outdoor space to create a modern, functional building that will suit current and future educational requirements.
“Over the course of its 161-year history, Stonebridge House has been adapted and extended to suit its occupants, but these alterations have clashed, and the result is a mismatched style and a building which is no longer fit for purpose,” explains rg+p’s architectural director, James Badley. “Our design, which was developed in close consultation with college staff and students, aims to restore the building’s historic aesthetic whist providing contemporary and practical learning facilities.”
rg+p’s reimagining of Stonebridge House includes open plan and flexible teaching rooms, breakout spaces, areas for collaborative work and individual study as well as greater interaction between the property and its surrounding environment. Experts from four of the practice’s disciplines have worked on the redesign, including architects, landscape architects, planners and quantity surveyors.
James adds: “The overall ambition for Stonebridge House was to reclaim redundant space, improve circulation internally and externally, and ensure accessibility for everyone. In specifying an open plan design, we have been able to incorporate flexible spaces; maximise daylight; provide a defined entrance; and landscape the grounds into pedestrianised areas for students to use and enjoy.”
Dr Stephen Peacock, assistant principal – higher education, Grantham College notes: “The revitalisation of Stonebridge House is a hugely exciting development for the College. It will form the keystone site of our new Institute of Technology for Engineering and Digital Skills. The project will allow us to not only restore the house to its former glory, but also to furnish it with cutting-edge features and facilities. The blend of old and new is perfectly in keeping with the College’s established expertise and forward-looking approach of our university-level courses.”
Construction work has commenced on site, with the refurbished project scheduled for completion in time for the start of the 2020 academic year.
