A conservation area is an area of special architectural or historic interest and is worthy of preservation or enhancement. The same goes for listed buildings which can be found within conservation areas. It’s important to preserve these areas as they represent and preserve special moments in history and culture. These would include features such as special details and historical designs, the layout of the buildings/trees/roads etc as well as their proportions.
At Timbertherm, we’ve worked in many conservation areas across the UK. One such area is Lewisham in South East London. Lewisham contains multiple conservation areas within the borough with two notable ones in the SE13 section being Lewisham Park and Lee Manor.
The Lewisham Park conservation area was recently appraised and adopted on the 26th June 2019, setting out the key characteristics that make the area special and worthy of being preserved and enhanced.
In World War II much of the original development was destroyed, though the large Victorian and Edwardian houses on the southern and eastern edges of the park survived and thus give the area its architectural significance. When looking at buildings such as these, it is very important to use the correct materials and techniques in accordance with the original design plans in order to maintain the buildings’ historical and cultural identity.
As members of the Forest Stewardship Council, we promote the sustainable and sympathetic use of timber windows and doors when working in conservation areas and listed buildings, only using timber that is conservation-approved.
Many period houses in conservation areas have their own unique character that’s been developing throughout the years, meaning that restoring or enhancing timber windows and doors on one period house will differ greatly from another.
Period houses in Lewisham tend to have more arched windows and even though they may have the same design, the window’s will have been prone to different conditions throughout the years, meaning that the changes to their structure and therefore how they should be handled will be different.
At Timbertherm, we work on 100% bespoke requests and love working with period homes, using conservation-approved materials and techniques that match the style of each home. Our priority is to restore the period windows, working closely with the original designs to create an exact replication, making sure that the history and character of your home are preserved.