The Whitworth Co-Partnership LLP was appointed by a family, who owned a building in the heart of Wickford, which had a varied past; the buildings use had included, Bakery, Shop and most recently offices. The family, wanted to restore the buildings to bring them into serviceable condition and take advantage of their key position near the railway station by forming 4 new flats, and retain a shop on the ground floor. WCP were appointed to design and oversee the project, which saw substantial repairs to a building which had not been maintained for a long period of time preceding the works. This history did lead to a number of unforeseen works, which had to be added into the contract, as more of the building was exposed. A large amount of new lead work was undertaken to combat a series of water ingress issues. The building had been covered in a non breathable paint, which was leading to further problems, as a result the entire building was stripped of paint and redecorated using a breathable natural mineral paint, to ensure longevity of the fabric.
Internally the existing layout was almost completely stripped out and 4 new flats were created at 1st and 2nd floor level; 3, 2 bed and 1, 1 bed, all with fully fitted kitchens and new access into and around the buildings were formed. All 4 flats were occupied within a month of practical completion.
