ASHTON OLD BATHS

RESTORATION

LOCATION

Manchester

SECTOR

Restoration

CLIENT

Ashton Old Baths Ltd

ARCHITECT

Placefirst

PROJECT VALUE

£2.8m

CONTRACT

Traditional

PERIOD

Apr 2015 – Feb 2016

CONTRACT PERIOD

10 Months

THE BRIEF

H.H. Smith were awarded the prestigious refurbishment of Ashton (Old) Baths, the works comprised internal and external repairs to the building fabric and the transformation of the former swimming pool building into a state of the art business hub. The build included a free standing structure in the form of a pod, comprising three stacked levels of contemporary office accommodation. Repair work included brick/masonry elevations, window and external door repairs /replacements, roof and timber repairs, all of which has brought the building’s external facade back to its former glory. Works have achieved ‘very good’ BREEAM rating.

KEY POINTS

The building is on English Heritage’s At Risk Register as one of the first municipal swimming pools to be built in the UK, so attention to detail and use of appropriate building materials and finishes was key to the seamless upgrade of the facades where old and new sit side by side.

CHALLENGES

This grade II listed building had been left derelict for over 40 years, with extensive decay and damage to the structure. The skills of H.H. Smith’s specialist trades men, all who have undertaken many heritage projects previously, were integral to the success of the project. Flexibility and capacity to adapt to the build was vital on this project of such unknowns. The varied stakeholders, PlaceFirst, the Developer, Tameside Council, and the English regional Development Fund required a collaborative approach to ensure a successful outcome. Management of information and process was necessary to satisfy the relevant funding bodies, both the Heritage Lottery Fund and the European Regional Development Fund were associated with this project.