Restoration & Conservation > The American Museum, Bath

Project Report

THE AMERICAN MUSEUM, BATH

Architect: Private Client
Client: Nash Partnership
Main Contractor: Ken Biggs Contractors Ltd

Requirements 

The American Museum is situated on the outskirts of Bath and has been open to the public since 1961.  Our brief was to repair and alter the former Stable Block to provide a lecture and music room and to alter the Coach House to provide an education centre to meet the expanding needs of visitors.  Also included within the contract was an improvement to the first floor living accommodation to provide two flats for the Museum staff.
Construction

The former Stable Block provided some difficult challenges for the construction team on site, especially with the need to retain the main roof structure and its supporting curved Ashlar back wall so our skills and wealth of knowledge was put to good use during this contract.

Initial works commenced with underpinning and drainage alterations being undertaken to stabilise the existing walls and divert the storm water away from the building.  Excavations and concrete foundations followed in sequence once these works had been carried out including a new reinforced concrete retaining wall to support the ground adjacent and to carry the new external façade. 

Roofing works were then undertaken and the existing roof trusses were cleaned and repaired.           

A new steel vierendeel truss was designed and installed to provide the main structural support for a new Copper roof which was lifted into place with a 50 tonne crane.

A Copper roof was fitted to the new plywood decking and upstand and new vertical rooflights formed the semi circular part of the roof to provide natural light into the building.  A green roof was planted on the remaining flat areas and the original slates were refixed to the slopes of the pitched roof into new lead gutters.  Ashlar walls and render completed the external façade.

Internally, delta membranes were used to provide a waterproof system to protect the walls and the timber floor with Oak staircases on both sides of the room forming the new entry and exit points.

The Coach House maintained most of its original features and the large doors and windows were sympathetically overhauled and repaired to their original design and finish.  Changes were made to the ground floor layout to include a lecture and teaching room, new toilet facilities and a small kitchen.  New acoustic ceilings were fitted with lighting as necessary to meet the needs of visitors.

External works then commenced with the installation of both  new drainage and foul drainage systems which included a Klargester treatment tank set into the ground with soft and hard landscaping protecting the area.

Both buildings were linked to new air conditioning and heating systems and a new external lighting system was fitted to enhance the visual impact of the Museum during the hours of dusk until dawn.

The contract was completed to the satisfaction of our client and to our high standard of workmanship.

Value £1,049,170