50 St Leonard’s Gate, Lancaster

Project Sector: Commercial

Project Overview

Refurbishment and extension of a historic 1887 two-storey building to create modern student accommodation, including new intermediate floors, a timber-frame vertical extension, and internal structural strengthening.

Project Details

Scope of changes

The project involved the transformation of a two-storey historical corner building and its rear structure into student accommodation rooms. Key works included:

• Refurbishment of both front and rear buildings.
• New intermediate floors in the rear building to increase usable space.
• Timber-frame vertical extension above the existing flat precast concrete roof.
• Reuse of the existing cellar and adaptation of the internal layout for modern use.

Our Role (Structural Engineering Services)

We provided comprehensive structural engineering support from feasibility to construction, including:

• Design of an internal steelwork structure supported by existing external stone walls to minimise load on historic beams, columns, and foundations.
• Structural design for the vertical extension, upgrading robustness to Consequence Class 2B as required by regulations.
• Development of detailed connection and support designs to ensure structural integrity without compromising the building’s historical character.