The stunning red brick Victorian buildings of St Clements Hospital are being brought back to life as new homes by specialist developers Lanswood Residential. The St Clements site is being transformed.
The Victorians left a distinctive architectural mark on Ipswich and now part of that legacy is being painstakingly transformed for the future - as homes.
St Clements Hospital, off Foxhall Road, closed as a hospital in 2002.
It had served the local community for decades, and now it is becoming new homes.
Built between 1866 and 1870 as a hospital to serve Ipswich Borough and replace two workhouses, the Victorian building designed by the then borough architect WR Ribbans on the former St Clements site on Foxhall Road is being converted into 47 new apartments and townhouses.
But first, Belgrove Place on Ribbans Park, as the new development will be known, is being stripped back to its 19th century roots.
Darin Shaikly, managing director of Colchester-based Lanswood Residential and Commercial Developments said: “This building is extremely complex and intricate. The site has had a number of additions, specifically during the 1950s and 1960s, so one of our first jobs was to remove the ‘add ons’.
“This building and the area around it is completely unique, that is why it is so special to us. Our expertise as developers is to recognise the full potential of a site and see what it lends itself to be. As well as creating contemporary new homes, we want to create a product that is sympathetic to the building.
“We work with our architect and the building fabric, to show us what it is capable of before deciding how we will arrange the composition of the apartments and houses. In this instance we have revised the layout to be led by townhouses rather than apartments which is more harmonious with the building and its sense of space.
“When you undertake a restoration of this kind it is essential to uphold the building’s history and design, whilst maximising its full potential. The existing elements are simple yet stunning. The Victorians had a great deal of respect for design and architecture and we see it as our job to uphold that. We are working with the building to really bring it back to life.”
Just one example of this eye for detail is that each of the original radiators will be restored whilst ensuring that they work alongside the modern technology of a state-of-the-art boiler and heating system.
Chris Board project manager for Lanswood adds: “As ‘historical caretakers’ it’s important we do the building justice. Every element of a project like this is a challenge. No one room is the same and therefore every new property we create will be individual. Even the scheme’s name is created by combining parts of the site’s history and giving it a modern twist.”
Belgrove Place is well-positioned close to the town centre. It also falls within the catchment areas of Britannia Primary School and Copleston High School.
Max Turner from Savills Ipswich new homes team said: “We anticipate Belgrove Place will appeal to a broad mix of buyers. We will have properties that would suit a first time buyer, something for those looking to downsize or larger town house properties ideal for a growing family. A scheme of this kind is exceptionally rare in central Ipswich as buildings of this nature simply don’t come to the market for redevelopment very often. It will give buyers a wonderful chance to own a piece of architectural history whilst living in a modern, stylish new home.”
Prices are on application from Savills.
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