St Clements St
Historic Oxford Building for Refurb
It is always fantastic to see a project complete on site. 58 St Clements St, Oxford, is one of our first completed projects of 2024. The four-storey building is made from traditional internal load-bearing timber stud walls and external masonry construction and is estimated to be approximately 150 years old. It is thought, due to evidence such as a 9” thick brick party wall on the upper levels, that the original building may have been a semi-detached property and was converted sometime throughout its varied history. Openings through the party wall have been created but both original timber staircases remain. The building’s history includes a spell as a car showroom!
Oxford International College Student Accommodation
The project was to renovate and redevelop the interior of the property, completely stripping the existing layout, and create accommodation for students attending The Oxford International College. The Oxford International College (OIC) is home to ambitious young people from more that 40 countries worldwide. Due to most students coming from abroad, the majority seek boarding accommodation and the college is keen to provide close knit communities for them to live where they can thrive. They are passionate about ensuring their accommodation is comfortable and well designed, where individuals can both study and relax.
The development sees 14 new student rooms created on the upper storeys. There is also a kitchen/lounge, a house parent self-contained flat and a graduate helper’s en-suite bedroom. The ground floor has been made into staff offices and meeting rooms, alongside other associated ancillary spaces. As well as creating a relaxed environment for the International Oxford College’s students, the thermal performance of the building has also been improved.
Structural Engineering Works
From an engineering perspective, it was an interesting building to work on due to the aforementioned historic timber studwork. The team’s main challenges were supporting the proposed plant equipment which was to be installed in the loft space. Our team also had to solve the issue with the roof spread and an array of remedial measures to the existing inadequate structure. A large quantity of steel was required to get the plant loads down to foundation level. However, the build team were careful not to adversely alter the existing exterior, to ensure that historic elements remained. Whilst 58 St Clements St is not a listed building it does sit within the St Clements Conservation Area. It is opposite the listed Port Mahon PH building which forms part of a small group of early 18th century rubble stone built properties.
If you are planning a refurb on an historic building, contact our SOLID team to learn how we can overcome your structural challenges.