Cassidy + Ashton wins at Cheshire West Design Awards for residential renovation and conservation project
Cassidy + Ashton’s architecture team has been presented with the Award for Residential Renovation and Conservation at this year’s Cheshire West Design Awards.
The award was given for the practice’s work at Priory Place and Love Street, the £3.5m refurbishment of 19 Grade II-listed residential properties in Chester city centre on behalf of social enterprise Grosvenor Hart Homes, part of the Grosvenor Group.
Cassidy + Ashton worked with a range of organisations on the specialist housing scheme, which was completed in 2023 and designed to accommodate the needs of a wide range of local families.
These included Professor Monica Lakhanpaul – Professor of Integrated Community Child Health at University College London and other professionals in the social and community support sector.
The development involved the conversion of a number of dwellings back into their original house typology, alongside general refurbishments and reordering throughout – with external remedial works consisting of replacement windows, brickwork and repointing, as well as improved energy performance and aesthetic measures.
In addition, Cassidy + Ashton’s design included new external landscaping focusing on shared space, with lawned gardens designed to accommodate communal gathering as well as raingardens, shared seating and planting beds, and a communal bicycle store.
The submission received the highest commendation in its category, with judges praising the quality of the scheme and its sensitive approach to conservation.
Richard Williams, architect, Cassidy + Ashton said: “Our practice has extensive expertise in the sensitive renovation of listed buildings and our work at Priory Place and Love Street is a real reflection of that.
“Working with heritage buildings brings unique challenges, including balancing client requirements, maintaining historical assets and managing costs, but with this scheme, we have delivered a high-quality renovation which will provide homes for the people of Chester for generations to come.
“This award is a testament to all of the partners involved in this project and it was great to be able to celebrate with them on the night.”
The Cheshire West Design Awards take place every five years and are designed to celebrate the region’s best architectural design and property professionals. Over 140 people attended this year’s awards, which took place last Thursday at Chester Town Hall.
Cassidy + Ashton’s Chester-based architecture team includes specialist RIBA-qualified architects, working on a range of projects in the residential, leisure, industrial sectors as well as conservation and listed buildings.
Photo: Marketing PRojects/Simon Warburton
