DHV Architects are the heritage consultants for the University of Bristol’s enterprise campus research hub at the former Bristol Gas Light Company buildings in the Silverthorne Lane Conservation Area in Bristol. The original 1821 gas retort house and the 1857 coal store are fascinating but heavily altered survivals of Bristol’s industrial heritage, and the project has uncovered fascinating discoveries have been made as part of the work.

The overall project, led by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris Architects, is for the conversion of the original retort house and coal store buildings into a state-of-the-art research hub for the Bristol Digital Futures Institute. This facility will bring together world-class academics, researchers and industry, civic and community partners within a single collaborative and creative space, as part of the University’s new technology campus.

DHV Architects are the heritage consultants for the project. We have advised on the changes to the buildings; produced a suite of heritage statements to accompany a series of planning applications for the site; and overseen repairs to the important 1820s external stonework.