Set within the historic core of Hereford, this project reimagines a neglected backland site and dilapidated street frontage to create a cohesive, contemporary family home.

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The site occupies a transitional condition between the dense medieval grain of East Street and the more open garden plots beyond St John Street. Historically shaped by incremental development of service yards, coach access routes and ancillary buildings, it represented a fragmented and underutilised urban space in a state of significant decline.

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The proposal brings the site into unified ownership and use, combining the careful reconstruction and adaptation of the existing East Street building, aliongside the insertion of a new dwelling within the enclosed courtyard to the rear. The street-facing structure is reconstructed, reinstating its historic character while accommodating ancillary living and working spaces.

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Beyond, the new house is conceived as a compact, inward-looking pavilion set within the brick-walled courtyard. Its form responds to the patchwork of surrounding roofscapes, with a restrained massing that ensures the building remains subservient to its context. Carefully positioned openings frame selective views across the city, including glimpses toward Hereford Cathedral.

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The building is delivered using an off-site prefabricated timber frame with a Larsen truss construction, achieving a highly insulated, airtight envelope wit Passivhaus-level performance. Warmcel cellulose insulation, triple-glazed Internorm windows, air source heat pump, whole house MVHR, underfloor heating, solar PV array and EV charging—support a low-energy, future-facing home.

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A lightweight, low-impact foundation strategy avoids concrete entirely, with the structure supported on screw piles, a glulam ground beam and suspended timber floor plate. Externally, a brick plinth anchors the building, while a corten-effect aluminium upper volume and sedum blanket roofs are designed to blur the lines between boundary and envelope.

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The project represents a balanced intervention that helps to preserve and enhance the historic grain whilst introducing a contemporary addition that continues the long-established pattern of backland infill within the city.