Friars Mill

Friars Mill sits on the banks of the River Soar in Leicester and developed as a woollen mill from the 18th century to become a thriving modern factory in the late 20th century.  By 2012 the grade II listed buildings were empty, those unlisted had been demolished and a fire had destroyed the main mill roof.

Working with Levitate, Sarah led a feasibility study into the potential future uses of the buildings after the city council had bought the site, which led to European funding for the project.  She then saw the project through an accelerated planning and listed building consent process, finally delivered a £6m scheme that converted the mills to managed workspace.  

Works included the conservation repair of the existing red brick buildings and their cast iron and timber structures, the reconstruction of the roof, cupola and weathervane of Friars Mill from historic photos, and the design and construction of new extensions to three buildings that housed modern services and circulation and facilitated increased floorspace set in landscaped grounds.

Friars Mill is now a thriving workspace site, managed by the East Midlands Chamber of Commerce and housing fifteen small and medium sized companies with shared meeting and events spaces.

‘Sarah worked on the Friars Mill project from its inception through to completion. She guided the project through site options analysis and feasibility studies through to preferred option selection. Sarah then worked with us on the funding bid, helping to secure grant of almost £4M towards the £7M scheme. Sarah went on to develop the scheme design, meeting extremely demanding timescales to comply with our funding obligations.

Once on-site, Sarah’s tenacity and attention to detail coupled with a professional and pragmatic approach to problem solving ensured the final product exceed expectations; the standard of finish and architectural detailing has impressed professional judging panels and occupiers and visitors alike.’ DB, Leicester City Council

Images: 1-3 Leicester City Council, 4-5 Levitate