PROJECT
WILTON HOUSE, BELFAST
to no period features left, no doors or fireplaces. It was more like an empty shell. Fortunately, the original staircases were still intact, as were some skirtings, architraves, and covings.” Poplar had to source local traditional craftsmanship and luckily found Palmer’s Mouldings to restore and recreate the ornate covings and centrepieces (see more on page 28), and Spincraft to replace missing spindles and newel posts. Michael is over the moon with the result. “You start off these projects with a picture in your head of how it is going to look and feel once it is done, and there are so many points along the journey when you doubt yourself, but it turned out really well.” MODERN LUXURY The original building and the new one are connected by a courtyard. “The new building is pretty much modern apartment living and we have brought across as many elements from the 1837 building as possible to maintain the flow. They offer the same boutique hotel style and comfort as the main
house,” Michael stated. The work on the five-storey building was done by Kelly Brothers and commenced in March 2022. “The original building not only inspired the design but also the choice of materials for the new one, like Staffordshire blue brick and standing seam cladding,” explained Sean Cunningham, Contracts Manager at Kelly Brothers. Housing and commercial projects are the contractor’s bread and butter, and Kelly Brothers had worked in projects involving historical buildings before, but Wilton House posed some challenges. “The biggest problem was space, as the entire site was practically taken over by the new build. We only had a slither of room to park and get the machinery in,” Sean commented. Being in a busy part of the Belfast city centre, the location also presented some difficulties regarding receiving and unloading deliveries. Extremely poor ground conditions were another issue. The contractors used Continuous Flight Auger (CFA) piles, which went roughly 20 meters in depth.
They also had to employ lightweight materials, such as metal studding and partitions instead of block work, as it would have been too heavy to build the five-storey structure in a small area. “At the same time, we had to be very careful as there are so many early 20th-century buildings nearby,” Sean explained. Even with contractors working on both buildings and in different stages of the project, the work was well coordinated, and Kelly Brothers are very happy with the results. Sean explained: “We brought special tradesmen specialised in finishing to ensure maximum attention to detail to the last touches. We are very proud of the quality of the project.” Client: Poplar Investments Ltd Main Contractor: Kelly Brothers Building Contractors PROJECT TEAM...
Architects: RPP Architects
Milltown East Industrial Estate, Upper Dromore Road, Warrenpoint, County Down, BT34 3PN T: 028 4175 2502- E: enquiries@kellybrothers.co.uk www.kellybrothers.co.uk
www.northernbuilder.co.uk
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