Alan Staley Building Contractors Ltd secured two awards (Large Renovation Project and Heritage Project) at the 2017 FMB Master Builder Awards for the stunning renovation of The Dower House, a listed building in Melbourne, Derbyshire. The property is surrounded by magnificent gardens and overlooks Melbourne Pool.
Alan Staley Building Contactors began work by demolishing the 1960's wing of the property and constructing a two-storey stone extension to replace it, making sure to be consistent with the original look of the building. This is an important element of working with a listed building; the historical value must be kept whilst improving the practicality of the building.
They used many bespoke items for this project, including stone carving details for the external elevation, timber moulding profiles for furniture, nautical parquet flooring and an external pyramid structure over an internal dome, containing a circular opening window.
Alan Staley, the company director and founder, says "We estimate that 90% of all projects we complete are for the National Trust or through Historic England. Many projects specialise in the construction and restoration of historic buildings and ancient monuments...We are very pleased that the FMB recognises the importance ofprotecting and preserving our heritage."
The Dower House project rectified the poorly designed 1960's extension that was not consistent with the historic importance and appearance of the building. The team at Alan Staley Building contractors exhibited high level craftsmanship and engineering skills to execute this impressive project.
This property is not only being recognised by the FMB, but was also acknowledged by the Civic Society and nominated by independent Heritage Architects to receive the Civic Award in 2016.
View the winner's page here.