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Plummer House is a major student residential conversion and extension project that has transformed a disused Grade II-listed early 20th-century building into high-quality, contemporary student accommodation.
Plummer House is a student residential conversion and extension that has brought a disused Grade II-listed building back into use in Newcastle city centre.
The scheme combines the refurbishment of the early twentieth-century building with new accommodation, preserving its architectural character while adapting it for contemporary student living. Historic internal spaces, including a former tearoom and dance hall, were retained as part of the redevelopment.
Delivering the scheme required careful integration of existing and new structures within a dense urban setting, alongside significant heritage and transport infrastructure constraints.
The former tearoom and dance hall were important features of the original building and central to the retention strategy.
Farrow Walsh developed a structural solution incorporating LGSF construction above these spaces, enabling additional accommodation to be introduced while preserving the historic rooms below.
This required careful consideration of the relationship between the retained fabric and new structure, allowing the building to be adapted without losing these distinctive elements of its interior.
Selected areas were demolished to make way for a new six-storey LGSF structure, increasing the accommodation available within the development.
The new construction needed to work alongside the retained listed building, with coordination at the interfaces between the different structural elements. Farrow Walsh brought the refurbishment and extension proposals together within an overall strategy that supported the architectural layout and the preservation of historic features.
The Metro line beneath the site introduced an important constraint to the structural design. The neighbouring listed monument added a further consideration within an already restricted city-centre location.
Farrow Walsh’s strategy responded to these conditions alongside the requirements of the listed building itself. Considering the surrounding structures and infrastructure together helped inform a coordinated approach to the proposed works.
Plummer House provides contemporary student accommodation within a restored historic building, giving residents a city-centre base with access to Newcastle’s amenities and university life.
The redevelopment has secured a new use for a previously disused property while preserving its architectural character and distinctive internal spaces. Retaining the former tearoom and dance hall maintains a tangible connection to the building’s past, allowing its history to remain part of its future.
By bringing residents into the building, the scheme also supports activity in the surrounding area and creates opportunities for nearby shops, cafés and services to benefit from the student community.
