Undershaw was the home of Sherlock Holmes creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, from 1897 until 1907. He wrote many of his famous works here, including The Hound of the Baskervilles. In 2014, the Grade II listed house was purchased by the David Forbes-Nixon Charitable Foundation for Stepping Stones School, a school for children with special needs and has since undergone a major refurbishment.
The original red brick house was designed by architect Joseph Henry Ball, in the ‘Surrey-vernacular’ style. Conan Doyle commissioned the house as somewhere his wife, ‘Touie’, who was suffering from tuberculosis could convalesce and the windows were deliberately large and south facing so that she could benefit from the celebrated Surrey light and air.
Main Contractor O&D Construction from Godalming chose Clement EB steel windows as the best window range to replicate the original fenestration, and Waverley Borough Council’s Conservation Officer approved the choice for this sensitive restoration. “The client wanted to make sure that the building could still be ‘read’ as it was in Conan Doyle’s day and to be as true to the original as possible,” said Michael O’Brien of O&D Construction. “The windows by Clement faithfully replicate the originals, letting in as much natural daylight as possible, providing a spacious, bright and positive environment for the students.”
Great care was taken to ensure a perfect colour match with the original frames, and even a specialist silicone was chosen to complete the look. Duplex handles were fitted to some of the windows for ease of reach, together with restrictors for safety.
Details
Site: Stepping Stones School (Undershaw), Portsmouth Road, Hindhead, Surrey, GU26 6AH
Architect: Nye Saunders, 3 Church Street, Godalming, Surrey, GU7 1EQ
Contractor: O&D Construction Ltd
Specification: Clement EB window range with both clear and leaded glass
Colour: RAL 1015 Light Ivory (matt)
B205 Howard handles in RTD finish
All pear drop hinges painted to match frames
14mm insulated glass units krypton filled
Clement EB bespoke steel windows are manufactured from hot rolled steel window and door profiles generally in compliance with BS 6510 Revision 10 Nov 2020 which are produced from 98% recycled steel source material. Hot dip zinc galvanised to EN ISO BS:1461 and with a polyester powder coat paint finish to BS:6497 2005 EN 13438 2018.
Photography by Laura Kelly, LSK Photo.
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