Community Benefit - Commendation - Anthony Gell & Anthony Bunting Almshouse Charity

DHBT Architecture Awards 2025

Community Benefit

Commendation – Anthony Gell & Anthony Bunting Almshouses, Wirksworth

Hope Design Ltd

Client - Anthony Gell & Anthony Bunting Almshouse Charity

Set just behind St Mary’s Church, the Grade II listed sixteenth-century Almshouses have undergone a sensitive architectural refurbishment that secures the long-term future of one of Wirksworth’s most historic buildings.

Led by Hope Design Ltd, the project addressed decades of deterioration and outdated twentieth-century alterations, last substantially touched in 1963.

Careful repair of stone mullions and sills, reinstatement of breathable limecrete floors and removal of intrusive modern partitions have helped restore the building’s clarity and character.

Discreetly integrated upgrades including slim-profile double glazing, insulated plaster finishes and an air source heat pump significantly improve energy performance while respecting historic fabric. These enhancements transform a previously energy-inefficient structure (all four flats were EPC F) into a more resilient, comfortable and sustainable building.

Judges praised the scheme for its subtlety, precision and strong conservation judgement, noting how the works enhance architectural integrity without compromising the Almshouses’ sixteenth-century form or their important place within the Wirksworth Conservation Area.

Project team: Hope Design Ltd, Nigel Johns (Project Manager), Charles W. Carnall (Lead Contractor), Planning Design (Heritage Consultant), Archaeological Research Services.

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