11-13 Lower Hillgate

Location
Stockport Town Centre
Client
Lowry Capital
People

The Brief

11–13 Lower Hillgate is a prominent historic building in Stockport’s Hillgate Conservation Area. After standing empty for many years, water ingress and fire damage had left it in a poor condition and detracting from the surrounding streetscape.

BTP was appointed by Lowry Capital to provide architectural, conservation and contract administration services, transforming the former offices into a mixed-use development with commercial space at ground-floor level and offices and apartments above.

Years of water ingress had left the floors and staircases beyond repair, while fire had damaged a modern steel-framed extension. Our design needed to address these structural issues, meet current fire-safety standards and protect the building’s historic fabric.

Using historic photographs as a guide, we restored the front façade to its original proportions and reinstated lost Victorian details. The works included removing unsafe and unsympathetic additions, structural repairs, roof reconstruction, new internal layouts and upgraded services.

We also managed to sympathetically increase the height to the rear of the building which faces onto Harvey Street to create mezzanine floors to the rear apartments.

A fabric-first approach retained and repaired as much of the building as possible, reducing embodied carbon. We also improved its energy performance through thermal upgrades, thin-profile double-glazed sash windows, MVHR and the reuse of existing roof slates where practical.

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Roof Design

Careful consideration has been given to the design of the mezzanine unit roofs, with roof pitches angled away from neighbouring properties to minimise overlooking and help preserve daylight to existing windows.

Restoring the historic shopfront

Using historic photographs as a guide, we restored the front façade to its original proportions and reinstated lost Victorian details.

Finial
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Addition of new finial to match existing
Refuse Store Gates
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Communal refuse store for shop units and apartments, secured by gate sympathetic to historical context
Victorian Shop Sign
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Reinstating lost historical details

The project has given a long-empty and deteriorating building a new lease of life, creating commercial, office and residential space within its restored historic fabric. It has repaired a prominent part of the Hillgate streetscape, responded sensitively to the neighbouring listed church and made a positive contribution to the regeneration of Stockport’s historic town centre.

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Steven Cook, Lowry Capital

"BTP’s architectural and conservation expertise was invaluable in overcoming the complex challenges at Lower Hillgate. Their collaborative approach has transformed a long-derelict heritage building into a high-quality, commercially viable development."

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Director
Andy (Kwok) Wan

BA(Hons), M.Arch, ARB, RIBA.

Director
Andy (Kwok) Wan

BA(Hons), M.Arch, ARB, RIBA.

I joined BTP as an architect in February 2021, bringing eight years’ experience at a large commercial practice in Manchester. I was promoted to associate in x and became a Director in 2023. My background spans masterplanning and large-scale residential and commercial projects across the UK, alongside projects throughout Asia, including a monastic school in India and major masterplans in China.

At BTP, I’ve developed my knowledge and experience in conservation and refurbishment projects across the country, most recently helping convert a listed building in Holyhead, Anglesey, into apartments. I’ve also developed a particular specialism working on high-rise recladding projects across Greater Manchester.

I am a Certified Passivhaus Designer with a focus on refurbishment and sustainability and have a keen interest in how we can live sustainably whilst minimising the impact on the environment.

Outside work, I love cooking, having spent my early years working as a chef in a family restaurant. I’m also a qualified drone pilot and enjoy combining travel and hiking with aerial photography, most recently in the Dolomites and Norwegian fjords. Other interests include running, music and keeping up with the latest technology.
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Senior Conservation Architect
Adrian Pearson

BA(Hons), DipArch, RIBA(SCA), AABC

Senior Conservation Architect
Adrian Pearson

BA(Hons), DipArch, RIBA(SCA), AABC

I joined BTP from my previous practice in March 2020 bringing over 25 years of experience in the conservation and re-use of listed and historic buildings at the highest level. My experience ranges from humble church repairs to large scale regeneration projects. This has fostered a pragmatic, methodical approach which has full regard for the philosophical and intellectual discipline but is tempered with a realistic appreciation of the more prosaic real-world issues of cost and sustainability.

My expertise has been recognised through several award-winning projects, and I was the recipient of the prestigious King of Prussia medal in 2016 for the conservation work completed at St James Church, New Brighton. My current workload involves challenging projects at Foxdenton Hall in Chadderton and for the reordering and extension of the Grade I listed St Peters Church in Congleton.

I also sit on the Diocesan Advisory Committee at Manchester Diocese and work as a peer assessor for the AABC conservation accreditation registers register which has allowed me to influence and promote the consuming need for rigour and quality in the conservation sector.

Outside of work I enjoy family holidays and long walks with our Airedale Terrier, Sascha.