Shortlisted for the Architects Journal Retrofit Awards 2021, this project for Wyre Forest District Council breathes new life into two locally listed buildings that had been neglected for many years . Originally constructed as water treatment works for Kidderminster, the historic buildings have been transformed to create a vibrant and contemporary Customer Contact Centre for the the local community that has re-established the historic townscape in this part of the town and contributed to the regeneration of the conservation area.

We took a sensitive and pragmatic approach to the reuse and retrofit of the listed buildings, seeking to restore and celebrate their character. Repairs have been undertaken in an honest way, ragged and rich raw edges of broken bricks, infilled openings and redundant structure have been left as found , leaving the history of change on view.

Original features were celebrated with high quality contemporary additions utilising a simple palette of natural, raw materials that contrasting and complementing the historic fabric, preserving the legibility of the original building for future generations.