WORCESTER CATHEDRAL UNDERCROFT LEARNING CENTRE
CONSERVATION & CONVERSION of SCHEDULED MONUMENT
Worcester Cathedral’s education department currently provides a high quality educational experience to over 6,000 children and young people every year from a temporary wooden shed structure. The vision of Worcester Cathedral’s Dean and Chapter was to conserve and bring into public use for the first time a wonderful 12th century Grade 1 listed former monastic refectory cellar and Scheduled Monument to provide a unique historic venue to facilitate learning, arts and heritage for the whole community, ensuring it is accessible to all.
The conversion of the Undercroft into a new education centre provides an innovative and versatile venue for whole community learning for both Worcestershire and the surrounding region. It continues the strong commitment to learning that forms an integral part of the Cathedral’s Benedictine heritage while facilitating engagement with a much wider range of socio-economic groups and non-traditional constituencies than has hitherto been possible.
Location plan with College Hall highlighted in blue. |
Schedule Monument plan of the College Hall and surroundings. Individual Scheduled fabric is highlighted in blue, with the larger scheduled area outlined in green. |
Listing plan of the College Hall and surroundings. Grade I structures are blue. Grade II are green and Grade II* are red. |
The vision to redevelop a previously inaccessible cellar within a scheduled monument into a fully accessible public facility was only made possible through extensive research, consultations and investigations into the existing fabric with numerous specialist heritage consultees. Unlocking the project was the identification of one section of later rebuilt Victorian vault within the original medieval structure, the identification of this one section of less significant masonry provided an opportunity for radical change to the building as its removal could be justified if access for all could at last be achieved. Permissions were then sought for scheduled monument consent, listed building consent, planning permission as well as CFCE (Cathedrals Fabric Commission for England) permission for the access to and conversion of the former monastic cellar into a fully functioning education facility.
The successful conversion of this space was a huge challenge, it involved very complex responses to environmental conditions and the building archaeology. The conservation philosophy was to ensure the fabric of this unique space was secured for future generations by carefully identifying which later additions and finishes needed to be carefully removed and repaired and which areas needed specialist conservation work. Not to be confused with a crypt this vaulted medieval Undercroft was a service space for the monastic hall above and as such the conservation philosophy was to ensure this utilitarian service function was expressed and could be interpreted. As such the exposed stone walls and vaults were repaired and consolidated rather than refinished in lime plaster and new interventions were kept to a minimum all with the aim of retaining the unique essence and character of the original space.
Through extensive and continuous dialogue with the cathedral archaeologist, the environmental engineer and Historic England a conservation philosophy was developed to ensure the lightest possible touch on the medieval space whilst still delivering a new inspiring and flexible community education space.
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The successful conversion of this space was a huge challenge, it involved very complex responses to environmental conditions and the building archaeology. The conservation philosophy was to ensure the fabric of this unique space was secured for future generations by carefully identifying which later additions and finishes needed to be carefully removed and repaired and which areas needed specialist conservation work. Not to be confused with a crypt this vaulted medieval Undercroft was a service space for the monastic hall above and as such the conservation philosophy was to ensure this utilitarian service function was expressed and could be interpreted. As such the exposed stone walls and vaults were repaired and consolidated rather than refinished in lime plaster and new interventions were kept to a minimum all with the aim of retaining the unique essence and character of the original space.
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Through extensive and continuous dialogue with the cathedral archaeologist, the environmental engineer and Historic England a conservation philosophy was developed to ensure the lightest possible touch on the medieval space whilst still delivering a new inspiring and flexible community education space.
The centre will play a decisive role in maintaining the Education Department’s existing status as a beacon of excellence in educational outreach and a model of best practice which other cathedrals aspire to emulate. The facility will be available to non-formal learners and community group activities throughout the year reaching wider non-educational audiences.
Existing Undercroft Floor Plan
Proposed Undercroft Floor Plan
Proposed Long Section
Conservation Cleaning
Plan of undercroft indicating periods of alteration.
WORCESTER CATHEDRAL
UNDERCROFT LEARNING CENTRE ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE
Environmental and financial sustainability were paramount to the cathedral, the brief was to create a building that is environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable for future generations. Retrofitting an existing heritage asset rather than building a new education building was seen as critical to meeting this vision.
The conversion of a medieval scheduled monument into habitable space for public use is a complex environmental challenge. The normal palette of environmental upgrades and new technologies were not going to be available in such a historically sensitive site. However, this project still presented an opportunity to dramatically improve the performance of the space and ensure its fabric is preserved for many more centuries. Prior to any approvals being considered a comprehensive environmental monitoring process was commissioned in order to fully understand the temperature and moisture implications of introducing people into what had been a disused damp and unheated cellar. The monitoring data helped to confirm two key requirements, firstly that the new heating system had to be stable year round and secondly that a new ventilation system would be required to prevent the excess build-up of moisture within the masonry enclosure.
As such a critical element of the project involved the removal of the modern concrete floor slab which was exacerbating moisture issues at the base of the external walls and internal pillar bases. A new level breathable limecrete under floor heating system with stone finish was then installed. This form of heating within the mostly subterranean and naturally insulated space offers the most stable heat source to the masonry fabric year round as well as offering the only truly flexible solution for heating an open space for use by school children.
Due to the historic sensitivity of the exposed stone finishes of the walls and ceilings the decision was also made to avoid as much surface mounting of services as possible. The new floor zone therefore became the main opportunity to distribute services around the new space. The electrics are all completely rewireable in the future due to a system of horizontal ducting within the new floor zone and hidden vertical ducts within door jambs.
WORCESTER CATHEDRAL
UNDERCROFT LEARNING CENTRE POST OCCUPANCY MONITORING
Due to the extremely sensitive nature of the fabric and the strict environmental controls required to ensure its stability all permissions for this project were conditioned on the basis that environmental monitoring of the space would continue for a minimum of three years after completion. In reality this monitoring will continue forever as it provides crucial information on the health and condition of the masonry structure. The continual monitoring of humidity levels has allowed the ventilation system to be developed and adapted to accommodate changes in the seasons and different user groups.
As well as temperature and humidity levels the energy usage is being monitored in order to evaluate the most efficient way to keep the building at a stable temperature all year round bearing in mind that during the first few years of occupation the under floor heating is being used to dry out the previously saturated masonry.
Due to a long term appointment and commitment at the cathedral which spans multiple projects over many years the design team have embraced the concept of continual monitoring of this new space. Through continual productive consultations with statutory heritage bodies there is a fundamental understanding that significant change to heritage structures requires dedicated post occupancy monitoring and on this project this has been embraced.
WORCESTER CATHEDRAL
ACANTHUS HOUSE
57 Hightown Rd
Banbury Oxfordshire OX16 9BE |
ACANTHUS HOUSE
57 Hightown Rd
Banbury Oxfordshire OX16 9BE |
ACANTHUS HOUSE
57 Hightown Rd
Banbury Oxfordshire OX16 9BE |
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