Staircase House in Stockport is a mediaeval merchant’s house, extended in several different
styles over the centuries.

As part of a regeneration of the historic town centre the building which had been sadly neglected in the recent past was restored as a themed museum to illustrate the development of the building and the uses to which it had been put at various times.

Providing modern exhibition facilities, safety and access facilities and a flexible modern services infrastructure in such a building was a challenging exercise.

However the outcome has been extremely successful, with significantly increased visitor numbers, praise for the facilities and awards from Civic Trust, RICS, and other professional organisations.

The project required close co-operation from all the designers, archaeologists, heritage bodies and the client users to ensure that all the required modern facilities were incorporated with minimum intrusion into the existing structure and fabric.

We were meticulous in our selection and design of all the services incorporated into the building and in the commissioning and fine tuning to achieve maximum benefit and effectiveness without detriment to the character and history of the various areas.