The greatest challenge Number 18 faced was a significant structural destabilisation of the east facing gable wall which visibly bulged over Arran Street East.

This movement was caused by the removal of internal walls over the course of the 20th century and historic water ingress that rotted bonding timbers in the outside walls, encouraging outward movement. Poor original detailing also played a part, with insufficient brick bonding to adequately tie walls together.

An extensive laser survey of the front and side elevations was undertaken which revealed the precise locations of problematic areas. This enabled a structural strategy to be developed to reinforce and tie these areas into a new four-storey grid of steelwork applied to the inside face of the gable wall, anchored to the brick masonry with a series of stainless steel ties along the structural grid. In turn, this steel grid was tied back to the superstructure of the building with a series of metal ties and steel plates embedded in the spine and party walls. This approach enabled the complete omission of unsightly pattress plates to the exterior that would otherwise have been required.

The stone-arcaded shopfront at the front of the building, which likely dates to 1789 with the upper floors rebuilt above it in 1842, did not provide sufficient structural support for the building’s upper walls.

The arched granite stonework and infill masonry required additional engineering restraints to ensure the overall building was adequately supported and to prevent future outward movement. As part of these works, the side arch facing Arran Street East was reopened with its infill blockwork removed.

The original design intent of the shopfront had become obscured over time, with opes and entrances moved and the stonework painted over. These later interventions were reversed to reveal the original design.

Throughout the building, water ingress had resulted in significant decay of structural timbers including window heads and joist ends, all of which contributed to the near collapse of the structure and required intervention and reversal.

The two street facades were coated in a rough cement pebbledash finish in the 1950s which trapped rainwater  and concealed failing flat arches over windows, sagging window aprons and disfigured the elegant yellow brickwork.

The facades originally featured hand-wigged lime jointing, a sample of which survived beneath a former street sign, enabling replication following removal of the failing cement dash.

Internally, the original lime plaster finishes to walls and ceilings had experienced decay as a result of water ingress ranging from delamination of plaster layers to wholesale failure of plaster, all of which required stabilisation and repair.

Ceilings were patch repaired in lime and sagging surfaces tethered using  steel tie hangers, while in limited areas complete replacement where required was carried out using lath and lime plaster. Finally, breathable insulation strategies, including the use of Calsitherm Climate Board and Diasen Cork-Based Thermal Plaster, were used in vulnerable areas to improve the thermal performance of the building.

The works are now nearing overall completion with the final phase of the works, consisting of the interior and exterior conservation and refurbishment of the conjoined but separate 18th-century rear portion of the building at 67 Arran Street East which commenced in early 2020 and is scheduled for completion in 2022.