Overview
Horsley Hall is a traditionally built Manor House set in the Derbyshire countryside. The dwelling has its own stable block, a separate building housing an indoor heated swimming pool, brick vaulted wine cellar, 8 bedrooms, and intricate stonework throughout the façade.
Originally a dilapidated Victorian manor house existed on the site. We surveyed the dwelling and reported on its state of disrepair and instability. This formed part of the planning application documentation which successfully gained the permission to demolish the existing structure and construct the replacement dwelling.
We were employed by the developer Sitwell Homes as structural engineers for the new build.
Brief
- Assessment of ground conditions for foundation and basement design
- Design and detail foundations and basement
- Superstructure design in loadbearing masonry
- Locate and detail superstructure movement joints
- Drainage design
- Regular meetings with project Architects
- Meetings with stonemasons
- Design of the pool housing
- Design of open plan stable blocks with accommodation within the roof space above
- Check supplier’s calculations and drawings for structural compliance
Solution
- Trial pitting to establish plasticity of clay soils due to influence of mature trees on foundations
- Stepped trench fill foundations
- Basement retaining wall design using reinforced masonry
- Design of brick vaulted roof over cellar
- Design and detail of discreet support systems for stonework
- Exposed timber trusses
- Perimeter concrete foundations around pool worked as gravity retaining walls whilst pool is excavated
- Steel portal frame construction over pool to provide clear uninterrupted space
- Steel ridge beams for uninterrupted roof space over stable blocks
- Porosity testing and soakaway design for the surface water drainage