Paul Crosby Architect

'The Footprint' Education shelter - St. Catherines for the National Trust, Troutbeck Bridge

An exciting chance to explore the creative use of innovative strawbale construction in a sustainable design. The roof is made of hand riven oak shakes. The strawbales have an external lime render and internal clay plaster and are finished with limewash. The internal thermal mass wall is made from a combination of rammed earth and adobe blocks The building is insulated with sheepswool. It uses timber 'I' beams where possible for the roof structure. The foundations use minimal concrete for the structural timber frame with car tyres filled with compacted quarry waste used to support the rest of the walls.

The 'Pevsner' for Cumbria now includes the Footprint

Major repair and refurbishment - Morland Hall, near Penrith

Literally a ruin, the house had a substantial tree growing out of the dining room reaching up for the open sky. The main house, its servants quarters and coach house had been left vacant after being comandeered during the war as a hospital. The roof had been stripped not long after and the building allowed to fall in to ruin. The new owners had a grand vision for bringing the buildings back to life and using it in part for their own substantial home and also as luxury holiday accomodation. The mortar repairs were down with lime mortar and bricks were sourced to match the existing Victorian sizes. Lime plaster was used throughout.

Repair and alteration - Howe Brook House, near Chorley

Grade II* - The house had started life as a 16th century 'H' shaped timber framed hall house. At some point in the 18th century, possibly due to fire the front of the house was rebuilt in brick in a Georgian style. The new owners wished to repair and consolidate the unstable existing structure and provide further living accomodation. We added to the side of the newer Georgian brick building in a lower set back subservient style to echo the existing language without overpowering it. The timber frame needed careful repair and the wattle and daub was painstakingly repaired and reproduced where inappropriate cement panels were removed. These new panels used clay sourced from the house gardens, and local straw, mixed by foot on site.

New Gates - Greys Court for the National Trust, Henley-on-Thames

A grade I listed building, Greys Court owned by the National Trust encorporates an estate with beautiful grounds which have been divided in to garden 'rooms'. The cherry orchard needed a distinctive entrance. We were asked by the late Mrs Brunner, the original property owner, to create gates that would reflect the cherry orchard within the walled enclosure and sit naturally within the grounds as a whole. The gate is accomodated within the existing scrolled metalwork fence, which continues through them. The gate then rises to encorporate a stylized cherry tree with tapered leaves and scrolled cherries.

Remodelling and refurbishment - Copper House, Hallthwaites

Copper House has been changed beyond recognition from a utilitarian police officers house and office into an arts & craft inspired home where spacial quality and attention to detail were paramount. Kitchens were changed in to Hallways, outside stores and toilet in to a dining room, a garage in to kitchen and a dining room in to a music room. The clients ambition has realized a house full of interest, where the simpliest of things were considered and express as part of the whole.