One Of Newcastle’s Oldest Buildings Sees Modern Makeover

Alderman Fenwick’s House, one of the most historically important buildings in Newcastle has seen a modern transformation through significant investment by a business space provider.

Constructed 1670, the Grade I listing building’s restoration was undertaken by the Tyne and Wear Building Preservation Trust before the building was bought by Central Space in December.

The building was initially built in the 17th Century as a merchant’s house and was later named after Newcastle Mayor Nicholas Fenwick, who was Mayor of Newcastle in 1720, 1726 and was an MP for Newcastle for 20 years from 1727 to 1747, with alderman simply meaning an elder in the historical sense.

It has seen many different uses in the past, including as a coaching inn where the novelist Charles Dickens stayed.

It is now seen as one of the most important townhouses of its kind in the North of England, and the restoration seeks to transform it into an attractive, modern business space complete with the heritage features you would expect from a 17th-century building.

Central Spaces’ upgrades beyond the existing restorations include installing ultra-fast broadband internet for all of its occupiers, a contemporary breakout space for office staff working there as well as modern meeting rooms.

As well as this, a phased refurbishment has been planned to replace the décor, lighting and flooring, whilst being mindful of the protected features of the historic building.

Central Space is keen to keep the building’s character intact, including its grand entrance hall and cupola.

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What To Think About When Insulating A Period Property

If the UK is to achieve its goal of going net zero by 2050, the country’s existing housing stock will need to be retrofitted in order to meet climate change targets.

In fact, a recent report from the Climate Change Committee concluded that these legally binding targets - which were ratified in law in 2019 - concluded that “climate change targets will not be met without the near-complete elimination of greenhouse gas emissions from UK buildings”.

The report went on to note that retrofitting existing homes and making sure they’re low carbon and resilient to the changing climate is a major priority for infrastructure and support from the Treasury is essential.

It called for greater uptake of energy efficiency measures like loft and wall insulation, as well as upgrades and repairs that include plans to improve water efficiency and air quality, reduce indoor moisture, shading and ventilation, and so on.

For period properties and listed buildings, retrofitting may seem like a daunting prospect, but it is certainly possible to achieve with expert help and guidance.

You will need to make sure that you have a solid understanding of the fabric of your particular building and only carry out work that will maintain the breathability of the construction materials, because older buildings manage damp and moisture differently to new builds.

Modern construction involves the use of damp proof membranes, which homes built before 1920 or thereabouts don’t have.

Other considerations you will need to take into account include making sure that you have listed building consent and the proper planning permission in place before undertaking any work. You can run into legal trouble if you do work onsite without this.

Do you need help with lath & plaster? Get in touch with Ovolo London today.