Liversage Trust Project

A collaboration between one of Derby’s oldest charities, the Liversage Trust, Matthew Montague Architects, and Sheerline highlights how to sympathetically renovate a property in a conservation area with heritage-style windows and doors that offer contemporary benefits.

Project objectives:

The primary aim of the project was to transform a redundant building on Alice Street, turning it into a purpose-built headquarters for the charity. The intention was to not only provide a viable work space, but to enhance the Trust’s portfolio, securing its future.

Another key element was the overall look and style of the building. As the unused site was built in the 1930s with an industrial aesthetic, and is within a conservation area, it was key that the new offices kept the heritage look associated with the buildings’ historic background.

While historical preservation was an important aspect, it was also key to integrate sustainable materials. This not only reflects contemporary design trends and improved building regulations but will also ensure the offices are as energy efficient as possible.

The specifics:

Matthew Montague Architects secured planning permission to transform the building, but they needed to find a reliable window and door manufacturer that could adhere to the exacting requirements of the project while also coming within the project budget.

Sheerline was selected because the products suited the age and style of the building and met the requirements set out by the Conservation Officer (they specified the heritage style windows and doors must be in keeping with the area).

In addition, Sheerline’s products offered exceptional value for money, particularly when considering the features and benefits of the products included as standard. Another key advantage was the range of frame profiles and design options available.

Sheerline’s solution:

Every product installed was chosen from Sheerline’s Classic range because of the ultra slim sightlines that maximise natural light within a building without compromising on thermal efficiency because of Sheerline’s proprietary Thermlock® technology.

To add to the character aesthetics, the team opted to add 25mm Georgian bars to the windows. In total, one Classic Heritage Door and 23 Classic windows were installed in Jet Black (RAL 9005), which was one of Sheerline’s most popular colours in 2024.

Sheerline expects the combination of black heritage-style products to remain hugely popular this year. Partly because of the demand for internal partitions and upgraded external doors, and also because of social media and the availability of beautiful, inspirational installation images.

The result:

Collaboration is key for many of the projects Sheerline supports, and this project was no different. Thanks to the efforts of everyone involved, the premises on Alice Street have been transformed into a beautiful, usable, working space for the charity.

The building has retained its character while meeting the conservation area requirements due to Sheerline’s stylish yet practical Classic range. The use of sustainable materials will also ensure the longevity of the building for years to come.

As an agile supplier, Sheerline was able to turnaround the order quickly, which contributed to the project being delivered ahead of schedule and in budget. This meant the Trust could continue to focus on supporting families and individuals around Derby.