We were asked to create a series of holiday apartments on a site within central York's conservation area. A derelict, two-storey former restaurant occupied the site but was in a poor state of disrepair and was generally detrimental to the street. The restaurant was itself an infil between neighbouring historic buildings, however its façade treatment, scale, and massing were at odds with the historic streetscape.

The proposal had to navigate the strict planning requirements of York’s Central Historic Core conservation area. It was particularly important not to affect views from across the Ouse.

Working within the tight constraints of the site, which is irregular and surrounded by existing buildings on three sides, we proposed a four storey set of holiday let apartments.

The pitched roof form blends the new construction in with its surrounding when viewed from afar, while a more contemporary face is presented to the street.

We preserved and reused the restaurant's concrete frame, and extended the building upwards with a lightweight timber structure above. The apart hotel is faced in two contrasting tones of brickwork, in flemish bond. Narrow bronze-anodised aluminium windows, balconies, and sliding doors, brick-faced lintels, and whole-brick depth reveals give a crisp appearance which complements the brickwork of the neighbouring buildings. The ground floor apartment has been designed to be fully accessible.

Internally the apartments are finished in a contemporary pallette of birch-faced plywood and white tile. The brickwork of the adjacent building is left exposed in places. Full height windows, and julliette balconies onto King Street behind glazed sliding doors, provide abundant daylighting to each apartment and views of the opera house opposite.