A historic Grade II-listed rural cob wall building was meticulously assessed, stabilised and restored to high-quality residences following a major fire event
A historic Grade II-listed rural cob wall building was meticulously assessed, stabilised and restored to high-quality residences following a major fire event
The project involved restoring a Grade II listed cob-walled building to residential use following a major fire. The structure, comprising five homes, originally featured timber floors, roof trusses and a thatched roof. The fire destroyed one chimney, around three-quarters of the roof and many internal floors. For the client, the aim was to rescue the historic property and restore it as rural homes while preserving its heritage value.
We were engaged from the day after the fire through to completion, assessing fire- and water-damaged cob walls, floors and roof trusses, and advising on remedial works and new structural insertions. Material testing confirmed the cob walls were largely sound, requiring only localised repairs. Our design ensured concentrated loads from the new roof trusses were sufficiently distributed to avoid overloading the cob walls. The rebuild involved integrating new floors, a replacement roof while reusing original timbers where feasible, whilst charred sections were carefully stripped and threaded back into position.
During construction we conducted frequent inspections, providing rapid solutions as concealed damage was uncovered. Our involvement ensured steady progress and safeguarded the building’s character. The completed scheme is a robust, sensitively restored collection of homes combining traditional craftsmanship with discreet modern structure — a clear example of engineering care in heritage restoration.
AWA Consulting Engineers is a structural, civil, and marine engineering consultancy established in 1987, with a hard-won but deserved reputation for delivering excellence in our profession.
Our philosophy is simple: we put people first. This has resulted in a high number of repeat clients and an impressive track record of successful award-winning projects. We are proud to be professional, and approachable; we believe this makes us the ideal partner for your project.
AWA has technical teams in our offices located in Romsey, Hampshire and Bath, Somerset. We deliver services to clients typically across the South, South East and South West.
Our team includes both chartered structural engineers and chartered civil engineers committed to continuous professional development ensuring you benefit from up to date industry expertise, whatever your project entails.
To find out more about how AWA Consulting Engineers can help with your project, get in touch today. Email mail@awaengineers.com and one of the team will be in touch. Alternatively, call 01794 524447 to speak to a member of our team.
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