Based in The Park Estate near Nottingham Castle, Nottingham Mews House on Ogle Drive is located in an idyllic spot at the bottom of the castle hill surrounded by large detached villas and mews houses. While bought for its picturesque location, the structure was in desperate need of renovation to its external facade. The original shell of the 1980’s construction was of a poor standard and used inappropriate materials that clashed with the area’s aesthetic and Victorian heritage.
The owner was keen to transform this into something truly special, which was successfully done when it was recognised in the Channel 4’s television show ‘Ugly House to Lovely House’ where it was featured as an example of how to update a once unsightly building.
The challenge faced by Chiles Evans + Care Architects was to create a more pleasing aesthetic by upgrading the existing fabrics, whilst also improving the construct’s energy efficiency and complementing the local vernacular. This small but challenging project was successfully achieved within the cost constraints.
To help achieve this, the architects chose Wienerberger’s Marziale brick to replace the original external skin with a crafted brick wall that incorporates pattern, brick projection and proportion to create a new decorative facade. Marziale is a clay brick that offers a classic look enriched by aesthetic variation in colour and texture. The product’s striking appearance leaves a lasting impression, enough to stand out, but can synergise with its surroundings due to its neutral tones.
The renewal of the front facade was driven by both aesthetic perception and energy performance. Once the external brick was removed, the poor state of the original construction was revealed in full. The building had no insulation and the internal skin of thermalite blocks was cracked. It became clear that the chosen product needed to provide durable and naturally energy efficient properties; clay offers both of these along with a long-life meaning these properties will continue to function highly for a number of generations. Naturally, clay seemed to be the best product to choose, combine this with Marziale’s look and the Wienerberger brick seemed to be the best option.
For further information please visit http://www.wienerberger.co.uk/. Follow Wienerberger on Twitter at https://twitter.com/wienerbergeruk.
Quotation:
Speaking on the project Richard Brown, Category Marketing Manager – Wall at Wienerberger, stated:
“Nottingham Mews House on Ogle Drive is a truly stunning regeneration project. The architects turned what was once a bit of an eyesore into something that will leave a lasting impression to whoever sees it. The client was looking for something that would perform efficiently when it came to energy and look great in its idyllic location which made Marziale a perfect product of choice. It’s always a pleasure to see our products used on these refurb projects but even more exciting when its recognised shows such as Ugly House to Lovely House as it’s a true testament to the high quality of these products.”
