Waterbeach Watchtower

R G Carter converted an existing Grade II listed watchtower on the Waterbeach Barracks site for use as new temporary accommodation for our Client Urban & Civic, including meeting spaces and offices.

The works involved retaining the structure, facades, windows and elevation treatments, renovating the internal finishings with some minor structural changes and the replacement and addition of IT and M&E services.

The aim was to maintain and repair the building whilst retaining its unique features, acknowledging the history of the building.  A ‘light touch’ approach was used in terms of external appearance of the building– with repair, replacement and painting of brickwork and downpipes including the garage and paintwork to balustrades.

External doors that were boarded up have had new timber doors installed. Internally, the lightweight partition walls and false floor were removed to create one large open plan office. A partition wall was inserted to provide separate male and female accessible WC’s. The adjacent garage building is now used as a bike store. Aside from these minimal tweaks to the building, the focus was on internal finishes, heating, lighting and furniture.