Conservation & Heritage Issue 50 Winter 2025/Spring 2026 - Flipbook - Page 104
Quote from Matt Watts, Director, Reed Watts Architects
over time. The material palette and construction methods
were developed to complement the historic building and
its setting, offering a dialogue between the new and old for
visitors to consider on their journey.
“
The material choices (including locally coppiced sweet
chestnut, exposed timber frame and lime render) reflect
the team’s drive to build in a sustainable way and to reduce
carbon emissions. Central to this are the 400mm thick
hempcrete blocks, supplied by The Hemp Block Company,
that have been used to form the external walls. These blocks,
fabricated from the biproduct of the hemp cloth industry,
are an ultra-low carbon product that also help to passively
regulate the acoustics, temperature and humidity within the
building.
Alongside the use of renewable materials, an air source
heat pump, natural ventilation and high levels of insulation
have been incorporated to further reduce embodied
and operational carbon with Life-cycle analysis showing
embodied carbon emissions of under 500kg/m2CO2e –
outperforming the RIBA’s Sustainable Outcomes guidance
for 2025 by over 25%.
This new building represents the culmination of an
immensely rewarding collaboration with the National
Trust at Ightham Mote and Colvin & Moggridge, the
landscape architects. I remember coming to Ightham
Mote as a teenager with my parents, so it’s a real privilege
to work here and to build something that combines
traditional and modern materials and construction
techniques with contemporary design. We’ve worked
hard to significantly reduce the embodied carbon in
the building’s fabric with the exposed, internal timber
structure, hempcrete blocks and locally sourced timber
cladding. The result is a building that reflects our shared
commitment to future generations and that will last, we
hope, as long as Ightham Mote itself. We’re excited to
see it come to life over the coming months and years.
Quote from Bernadette Gillow, General Manager for
Ightham Mote and North Kent Portfolio
“
The new building replaces a temporary building which was
at the end of its life and relocates the shop from within the
historic coach house, releasing it for other more appropriate
uses.
This major project for Ightham Mote has been many
years in the making and one of the key factors that has
led to its brilliant success has been the effective teamwork
by all the many parties involved. Our architect team
and supporting specialists have worked tirelessly with
us to explore options and overcome obstacles and it is
this approach that has ultimately enabled us to deliver
the best solution for Ightham Mote.
Above, external view of Ightham Mote, visitor reception and shop
photography by Fred Howarth
I
Conservation & Heritage Journal
102
I
