The project

A developer in North Yorkshire was looking to restore and convert this expansive 18th century Grade II Listed Building in Harrogate into some modern, stylish flats.

The building had a long and storied history, having served as a succession of pubs, inns, restaurants and hotels over the past 250 years. During its life, it had been extended, developed and remodelled numerous times.

After a referral from a previous client, the developers came to Future Builds looking for us to create 12 stunning, characterful luxury flats, which would provide the perfect balance between stylish modern living and period charm. 

The challenges


With a combination of restoration and development work, this project came with a number of unique challenges. 

Working with a listed building

Period properties often come with their fair share of challenges, and this one was no different.

The multiple changes to the interior layout over the years had taken their toll on the building. Many of the original features had been lost or damaged, and it was part of the challenge to salvage and sympathetically restore as much as possible, whilst integrating them into the new design of the building.

The state of disrepair

When we got hold of this building, it’s fair to say that the structure had seen much better days!

Both the exterior and interior were in a state of disrepair, with old rotting timbers, damp, loose stonework and structural damage throughout. The aging roof structure was extremely fragile, and wasn’t fit for purpose.

It was going to require a lot of strengthening and repair work to bring it back to its best, and we knew we’d have to think carefully about the best ways of remodelling the interior layout.

The new use

Although the building had gone through a lot of changes throughout the years, the new layout needed to be completely different from anything that had gone before.

The challenge came in transforming a single period building into a cohesive block of modern, stylish self-contained flats, maximising the use of space, whilst retaining the charm of the original building.

Getting to work

Reinforcing the structure

After conducting a thorough site survey, we started with the essential repair work. This began with removing all of the old, rotting timbers and loose stonework, before taking steps to strengthen the structure.

We utilised steel supports to reinforce the old roof structure, strengthening it significantly. We also added steel supports to bolster the existing floor beams, providing a sturdy platform for the all-new floor structure to sit on top of.

Creating the new layout

The new layout required the creation of a new lift shaft and a central stairwell, to serve the different flats.

This was the most significant departure from the existing layout, and came with its own unique challenges, including increasing the height of the stairwell. By adding new steel supports, we were able to remove the timbers that were obstructing the stairwell, without compromising the superstructure of the building.

We also modified the levels of the building to maximise the space and accommodate 12 new flats.

The finishing touches – coming May 2015

The structural work is now complete, and we’re ready to start with the finishing touches.

Our team is currently plastering the walls of the flats, ahead of the second fix, and aim to have the project completed by May 2015. We’ll keep you updated, and can’t wait to show you the building when its finished.

Your next project

Are you looking for a building contractor for your next project? At Future Builds, we’ve got the skills, knowledge and hands on experience to bring your dreams to life.

The main design challenge was that there was an access passage through the lower level of the house. Retaining the passage was important if we were to preserve the character of the building, but it was going to have a direct impact on the amount of living space available. The solution was to turn the design in its head and put the living space upstairs and the bedrooms in the lower floor on either side of the passage. We constructed a conventional staircase leading from the front door to the upstairs kitchen and sitting room. A spiral staircase was also installed. This dropped down into the other side of the house, where we build bedroom with an en-suite. On the other side of the passage, there was also a house bathroom.We designed a large open space on the upper floor, which benefitted from lots of natural light from several roof lights. A timber opening at the front the building was used to create a large window full height French style doors in the sitting room. A glass and stainless steel balcony was fitted to finish the outside.