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Gravetye Manor awarded Mid Sussex Design Awards

19 October 2018

The Mid Sussex Design Awards is run every three years to celebrate the best building projects in the District over the preceding years. We are delighted that our project, Gravetye Manor, was named the winning entry in the Non-Residential Schemes category as well as receiving a commendation in the Conservation and Heritage-Based Schemes Category.

With the architectural design by Charles Knowles Design and construction by Pilbeam Construction, the objective of the extension was not only to increase the dining capacity, but to showcase the Grade 2 listed gardens within an enclosed area. Gravetye Manor is a Michelin Star restaurant and hotel within a Grade 1 listed manor house built in 1598 and is know as the epitome of classic country house hospitality within the area.

CampbellReith worked closely with Charles Knowles Design architects to develop a structural solution that both protected the structural integrity of the existing manor house while adding to its’ legacy. To further protect the existing manor house, the design utilised cantilevered members to support the lead roof with no supports within four meters of the existing building. Due to a full glazed enclosure, the allowable deflection was monitored carefully and the members designed and placed very purposefully.

Being a high grade hotel, down time was to be kept to a minimum. The design team worked closely with Pilbeam Construction to enable a fast track programme with only 4 months on site, which included the use of the specialist prefabricated basement providers Glatthaar. The basement panels, prefabricated and shipped from Germany, were dropped into place with the in situ ground floor slab cast directly above. The steel frame, by Hillcrest Structural, was installed to a very tight tolerance as the pace of construction meant there was no time within the critical path to measure on site before installation begun.

Photographs courtesy of Charles Knowles