Old Hall Farm
Cheshire
This project took an unexpected turn just weeks before we were due to submit to planning, As the country moved from the reign of Queen Elizabeth II to King Charles III. With the new King’s longstanding and deeply held interest in architecture and place-making, the scheme was revisited, bringing a fascinating new layer of scrutiny and design thinking to the project.
Uniquely, the client is an estate with which the new King is personally connected. As Duke of Lancaster, King Charles III takes a close interest in the Duchy and its development, with regular updates on its projects.
Working with the Duchy of Lancaster brings a particular sense of responsibility. This is an estate stewarded for more than 750 years, where development is considered through the lens of long-term value, heritage and its impact on the wider landscape.
The Old Hall project embodies that philosophy: the regeneration of a curtilage-listed Cheshire farmstead, transforming redundant brick shippons into eight elegant Duchy rental homes, alongside new starter workshops for small local businesses.
As the Duchy developed its new regional design look books, elements of our proposals were revisited to reflect the King’s architectural thinking.
Working closely with the brilliant Hugh Petter of Adam Architecture and Ross Sharpe of Yiangou Architects, key architectural advisers to the Duchy, we explored a richer language of window designs, drawing on the character and detailing seen across earlier Duchy of Cornwall projects.
It has been an extraordinary project to be part of and we’re excited to see these historic buildings finally brought back to life and become part of the Duchy’s long-term rental portfolio.
