Sustainable Futures Wright & Wright - Flipbook - Page 37
Lambeth Palace masterplan
Stephen Smith
‘The spirit of this
complex retrofit
challenge is
captured by the
adage: if we want
things to stay the
same, things will
have to change’
Transitioning Lambeth Palace towards
becoming a zero carbon site represented
a considerable challenge. However,
galvanised by an enlightened client,
the design team set about devising and
implementing an effective strategy for
this historic set of Grade I listed
buildings. Certain improvements were
easy to instigate: addressing issues
such as life expired services with little
or no controls, lack of insulation and
leaky windows. By upgrading the
thermal performance of the building
fabric, this resulted in a smaller plant
area, more compact fittings and lower
running costs.
Previously, an ad-hoc approach to
renovation gave rise to exposed services
and a compromised relationship
with the Palace’s historic features.
This necessitated a holistic rethink,
so wherever possible, the latest
remodelling took the opportunity to
reuse existing trenches, risers and
ductwork routes. By engaging with
Historic England and Lambeth’s
Conservation team early on, this
concept was a key driver of the project.
Powered by air source heat pumps,
a new Energy Centre is located in the
service yard. It is neatly elevated on
a raised deck to maintain the turning
circles for access to the garages below.
In removing reliance on in situ gas
boilers, the electrical load was increased
to the extent that a new substation was
required. Photovoltaics have also been
added to flat roofs, with other roof
locations identified for future use.
As part of the peer review process,
the team analysed the sequence and
phasing of the works, to establish
certain principles and priorities;
notably, bringing the entire belowground, site-wide infrastructure
forward to be installed as part of the first
phase of works. This enabled plate heat
exchangers to be positioned at strategic
points within buildings due to be
remodelled in subsequent phases,
so they could be connected to the new
Energy Centre.
With such extensive excavations
for the services, the prospect of
archaeological discoveries assumed
a critical importance, so an extensive
watching brief was established for
the entire network of services
around the site. This was aided by in
depth research of record drawings,
consolidating the traces of former
buildings and overlaying these with
surveys of below ground services.
The addition of new double-glazed
windows, new services and fixtures
necessitated a rebalancing of scales.
Old and now under-sized radiators were
salvaged along with chandeliers and
timber work. Almost all the existing
furniture and fixtures were brought
back from storage and reinstalled.
In the Great Hall, former bookcases
were carefully dismantled and
refashioned into elegant panelling that
retains the rhythm and marks of the
original caps and trims.
Despite welcoming thousands of
guests a year as part of Lambeth’s
charitable remit, access to the Palace
was severely compromised. A new ramp
and steps now directs wheelchair users
to the main entrance rather than a
secondary door. To further improve
access, level changes have been resolved
throughout the buildings, with the
addition of four new lifts, as well as a
Changing Places WC.
The spirit of this complex retrofit
challenge is captured by the adage ‘If we
want things to stay the same things will
have to change’. Now, with paintings,
curtains and furnishing reinstated, the
transformation is complete, embodying
the clients’ ambition that the aesthetic
and architectural aspects of Palace
should be respected, but that its
qualities of homeliness and domesticity,
stemming from decades of occupation
by Archbishops of Canterbury and their
families, should also be preserved.
Opposite:
Carefully detailed new double
glazing will help to reduce
Lambeth Palace’s overall
energy consumption
Lambeth Palace masterplan
37
