Butler’s Wharf architects commended for Danson House restoration
Architects Purcell Miller Tritton of Maguire Street last week received a commendation from RIBA London for the restoration of the capital's "most significant building at risk".
The architectural practice received the award at the new BBC Media Village for its successful restoration of Danson House in Bexleyheath. It is the first year that RIBA London has given out conservation awards.
Purcell Miller Tritton were first appointed project architects at Danson House in 1995 when English Heritage acquired the building, saving it from the threat of demolition. English Heritage described the property as "the most significant building at risk in London". Rated grade "A" on the Buildings at Risk Register, Danson had no proper roof covering, suffered from wet and dry rot and pigeon infestation, and there was structural failure of parts of the upper floor and roof.
The architectural team from Purcell Miller Tritton's London office declared that it was "eminently repairable" having ascertained that the house was structurally sounder than it looked and that large areas of original Georgian fabric remained despite Victorian re-decoration and subsequent neglect.
The first of two phases of work included structural repairs, the installation of a new Westmorland slate roof, the conservation of external stonework and the reinstatement of the principal room interiors. The second phase of work included the completion of the rich decorative schemes in the principal rooms as well as the restoration of the rooms at bedroom and terrace levels.