A HISTORIC former school building in the heart of Clifton which overlooks the Downs is to be converted into up-market flats and homes.
Property firm Kersfield Development has put together plans to convert the former St John’s School at the top of Blackboy Hill into luxury apartments.
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The former St John’s School building, above, in Blackboy Hill – known for its distinctive roof tiles – is set to be turned into posh flats if the plans, left, are approved
The school, which has been used in recent years as council offices but at one stage was almost demolished, is a listed building and is known for its distinctive tiled roof.
The award-winning Bristol architect practice O’LearyGoss has been taken on to oversee the high-profile renovation.
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The team at the architects has submitted plans to convert the grade two listed Victorian school into unique residential properties.
Bristol City Council planners will examine the architect’s blueprint later this month which will see the school building transformed into five houses and three mews properties.
Architect Jenny Goss said: “We are delighted to be involved with the sensitive restoration and rejuvenation of this treasured Tudor-Gothic-style building.
“Sustainable environmental design is our key policy so this project fits perfectly with the practice’s ethos of finding ingenious new uses for historic buildings.”
She added: “This will be a careful conversion by Kersfield Developments to ensure this landmark building’s preservation for the future.”
Five of the new homes will be contained within the original building under the distinctive black and red roof tiles.
The designs will make use of the original schoolhouse architecture alongside up-market contemporary interiors and high-end energy-saving specifications.
The three contemporary mews houses will be built inside the original stone boundary wall of the former school yard.
All will be built to higher specifications than the current standards for energy efficiency, with their own air source heat pumps providing sustainable energy to each property.
Each property will have outdoor areas and three will include private garden terraces built above six new garages.
There will also be four further car spaces for residents.
St John’s School was built in 1851 and the Church of England pupils became known in the city as ‘St John’s Angels’.
The building was threatened in the 1960s by a proposed new roundabout at the top of Blackboy Hill but plans were dropped after a major public outcry to save the property from the bulldozers.
It finally shut as a school in 1978, when Bristol City Council moved in and converted the building into offices and social services centre.
Jenny Goss added: “Much of the internal architecture was hidden by ugly suspended ceilings and partitions.
“With the council’s conservation officer’s agreement, we have removed these and revealed the impressive original spaces.”
She added: “Our design will incorporate the original Victorian timber trusses over the former assembly and classroom spaces, with open-plan living on upper levels affording stunning views towards over the city.”
Planning permission and listed building consent will be considered at a meeting in August with work expected get under way in the autumn for completion during 2014.