SPOTLIGHT CG BUILDING AND RESTORATION LTD
The team re-roofed the building with Welsh slate
avoid damage,” says Carter. “Restoring them often meant using old techniques that are rarely practised today; this required us to use the specialist skills and traditional methods that our team has developed over the years.” To deliver the project, CG Building and Restoration Ltd: ● Worked closely with conservation and restoration experts, drawing on their knowledge and experience ● Maintained constant communication with heritage organisations to “This building’s incredible history meant every choice we made here had to respect the story of the building.”
project management firm, Gate & Bar (see boxout, Managing progress) to deliver a significant restoration project. Works carried out included: ● Repairing and redecorating more than 280 windows ● Repairing the building’s brickwork and stonework ● Redecorating metalwork and railings, joinery and external timber doors and shutters, and painted stonework ● Improving thermal insulation ● Re-roofing 19-21 Blossom
ensure the work respected the building’s historical value while meeting contemporary standards. A hidden past During restoration work, the team uncovered numerous hidden details from the building’s past, including original design features, intricate craftsmanship and architectural elements that had been covered or altered over time. “Each find felt like a glimpse into the lives and skills of the people who built the structure, creating a direct connection to their work and their world,”
and teamwork within our group”, and how the team has celebrated every milestone as a collective accomplishment. “Knowing that our efforts are helping to protect and share something so meaningful with future generations makes all the hard work feel timeless and worthwhile.” Working on a building with a history as rich and varied as the Bar Convent requires a significantly different approach to other types of work. “Unlike on modern builds, where the focus is often on efficiency or innovation, this building’s incredible history meant every choice we made here had to respect the story of the building,” says Carter.
Street with Welsh slate under a huge temporary roof structure.
A delicate balance Whenever restoration and improvement work is carried out on a heritage building it’s essential that a fine balance be found between preserving the building’s original features and enabling it to meet modern standards. “Many of the materials were fragile from age and needed careful handling to
says Carter. He notes the “incredible sense of pride
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Master Builder
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