Broxbournebry Mansion

Purcell Miller Tritton has secured a significant planning consent, subject to the Secretary of State’s approval, as Project Architects on the £16m conservation, restoration and development of the Broxbournebury estate in Hertfordshire. Appointed by St James Leisure, Purcell Miller Tritton will provide full architectural services to enable the conversion of the 16th century Grade II listed mansion into a luxury hotel, providing conference, function, spa and golf facilities. The development will see the provision of 22 suites in the listed mansion, together with extending the listed building below the ground level of the restored walled garden. This addition will contain function and conference facilities that will open out into sunken gardens. Overlooking the sunken courtyards will be a new three storey block, comprising 100 executive suites and bedrooms in carbon-negative lime hemp walling that replaces an existing tennis dome.

Jeremy Blake, Principal at Purcell Miller Tritton said the incorporation of a green and sustainable agenda had gained widespread praise following the failure of previous schemes to secure planning and listed building consents for the site: “This innovative scheme will see the new carbon-negative building become the first UK hotel to use natural air-conditioning through ground coupling. By absorbing hot stale air from the building, an underground pipe chills and re-circulates the air combined with fresh air back into the building. This is supplemented with chilled beam ceilings in the large function areas. Other sustainable aspects will include a biomass boiler, solar water heating to provide 85% of the hotel’s hot water, rainwater harvesting, grey water recycling and a sustainable urban drainage system with reed beds.”

Having formerly refused planning, English Heritage has now supported and praised the new proposal as both “ingenious and sensitive.” The project is expected to start on site next year with completion during 2010.
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