The old Workhouse in Marlborough, built in 1837 and Grade II listed, has been restored and converted to create cottages and flats for independent older people as the centrepiece of a larger retirement development.
Conservation work has revealed the beauty of the stonework in this listed building. As specialist retirement housing architects, RMA observed that the first-floor windowsills of the listed building were far too high, failing to provide good views for anybody who was in bed. We therefore raised the floors throughout the listed building to provide a beautiful outlook for residents of the communally maintained landscaping. All the units are carefully designed to be adaptable to accommodate increasing frailty, meeting Lifetime Homes standards and HAPPI principles.
Around the edges of the site, fine mature trees have been preserved but a more unusual feature are the four intimate garden rooms created within the unpromising context of the old workhouse exercise yards.
As part of our masterplan for the development, a care home has been built next door to provide additional and continual support for elderly residents.
Location: Marlborough, Wiltshire
Client: English Courtyard Housing Association
Size: 24 units
Contract Value: £2.5m
