On Monday Tony Barnard, HOK London Historic Buildings Consultant, received the ‘Gold Green Apple Award’ and was also the ‘Green Champion’ winner for its category for a project HOK London was involved in: Clarkencombe Lodge at Ashton Court in Bristol.

The ‘Green Apple Awards for the Built Environment and Architectural Heritage’ were organised by The Green Organisation and held in beautiful Hampton Court Palace.

Clarkencombe Lodge is one of Ashton Court’s five lodges, each of which were designed as gateways into the estate. It dates from c1840 and prior to the completed work was in a derelict state and in urgent need of repair. It is constructed mostly of limestone with sandstone turrets in a Perpendicular Gothic Style.

The lodge is used by a colony of rare bats as a maternity roost and work was carefully phased and programmed to safeguard the bats. As part of the work, dedicated bat roosts were formed in the roof void and in a modern extension, which it had initially been planned to demolish. One of the corner turrets was sealed off from the main part of the lodge and connected through into the roof void to create a connection route between the roof void and the modern extension and to the outside at roof level. Within the modern extension additional walls were formed with ledges to provided greater roost points for the bats. Low level heating was also provided to improve the conditions for breeding. It is also hoped that the modern extension will become a hibernacula. The noisy work was completed in time for the 2007 breeding season with some of the decoration and fit out work carrying on till September 2007. An emergent survey of the bats leaving in the evening to feed was carried out and 376 bats were recorded an increase of 209 on the survey numbers before the works began.

The building fabric has been fully repaired and walls re-plastered with traditional lime plasters on chestnut laths. Sheep wool insulation has been used in the roof and floor voids.

Have a look at some before and after photos – really fascinating!