Ocean Estate Agents, Portishead

Ocean Estate Agents wished to open a new office in Portishead. The site had a previous consent for demolition of the existing building and the construction of a small block of offices. However, after research we concluded that the existing building was one of the earliest in the High Street and should be retained and refurbished. The frontage of the ground floor had been changed on several occasions and was of poor quality and therefore this was removed and an extension was added which projected forwards and wrapped round the side of the old house. In order to maximise the visibility of the displays in the estate agents’ office, the extension was constructed entirely of glass on the side, front and rear. The only support for the roof is circular-section steel columns at the corners.

The rear of the building contains a storeroom, toilets and a kitchen, with individual offices and a shower room on the first floor. The existing building was extensively refurbished with new timber sash windows, the roof recovered with the existing clay tiles with a high level of roof insulation. Electrical charging points are provided for cars parked to the side of the office. The existing internal staircase was in such poor condition that it had to be replaced and the new staircase is very modern, consisting of oak treads supported on steel beams with a glass balustrade.

A new office has been provided for Ocean Estate Agents with maximum visibility for their display boards, together with the refurbishment of an unlisted heritage asset in Portishead High Street.