Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings.

Our approach goes beyond simple conservation. The Main Mill had already lived two long lives, first as a flax-mill and then a maltings. Our structural design strategy took everything back to first principles; through performance-based design we justified the additional capacity that gives the building a further life, while at the same time preserving its historic fabric.

By understanding the entire structure’s behaviour we were able to devise sensitive, discrete interventions that enhance the existing structure’s robustness and resilience. A new steel frame is inserted through the lower levels to provide capacity for the most overloaded existing columns, and presents only a few new columns within the final ground floor. Elsewhere, a system of ties and reinforced overlays provides alternate loading pathways to achieve an overall reliability. We sought out inherent strength within the existing frame and then targeted all interventions to sensitively enhance the frame’s apparent weaknesses.

Rescuing the timber elements within the Main Mill’s perimeter masonry walls required a complete integration of construction sequencing, temporary works and repair proposals. AKT II performed extensive investigations to understand the existing situation, and then led the integrated strategy.