From Rutland Mills to Tileyard North: Jen shares her favourite retrofit
Jen Oliver shares the fascinating reuse story and complex engineering behind Tileyard North in Wakefield
In the run up to NLA’s Retrofit Summit in November which we’re proud to sponsor, our team is sharing some of their favourite examples of retrofit and reuse that have had a significant impact on people’s lives.
Jen Oliver, senior structural engineer, shares how Rutland Mills, a complex of derelict Grade II* listed mill buildings in Yorkshire, has been transformed into the iconic mixed-use 135,000 sq ft creative industries and cultural hub, and the new home of Tileyard North.
"A fascinating reuse project I have followed closely in recent years is the mixed-use regeneration of Rutland Mills. Originally textile mills, the Grade II* listed complex is at the heart of Wakefield Waterfront.
"The overall vision of the retrofit has been to transform the historic site into a vibrant cultural hotspot for creative and collaborative partnerships in music, film, TV, design and new media.
"To create this space, six derelict buildings have undergone sensitive repairs and interventions to ensure that their structure is safe for re-use. With this comes the modernisation of since-forgotten structures, to improve circulation and disabled access, reusing the nineteenth-century complex.
"Investment in the public realm has also meant that the external environment is as attractive as the internal.
"With retrofit comes careful consideration, and unfortunately, not all parts of the mill complex could be viably reused. Three buildings needed to be dismantled due to their condition or unsuitability for new use. As part of this, one section of the mill is proposed to be replaced by a new building. By expansively reusing, this new space will upgrade the mills.
"One of the standout features of this project is the restoration of the remnants of an original brick chimney. The standalone structure has been repaired and extended to replicate its original height. To design its new exposed steel structure, computational parametric structural analysis was carried out. Without this, refining the design would have been really challenging.
"The development will be home to the new Tileyard of the North. Tileyard London has done so much in championing and supporting independent artists and businesses by providing them with a space to work and display.
"The works to bring this historic riverfront back to life are coming to a close, and I can’t wait to see the transformation complete."
