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Horse Guards is an illustrious historic building located in the City of Westminster, London, between Whitehall and Horse Guards Parade. The Grade 1 listed building was built in the mid-18th century, as a barracks and stables for the Household Cavalry, later becoming an important military headquarters. The Palladian-style building is constructed of Portland Stone and Welsh Slate roofs. In March 2021, we were appointed by our client Amey Defence Services to undertake an ongoing and evolving schedule of reactive investigation/survey and repair of leaks.
Using highly specialised and bespoke techniques, we tested and investigated the source of water ingress and leaks across the roofs. As part of the external testing, a rope access survey was undertaken to investigate the cause of leaks into the roof area above the outer stable arches.
Having collated all the information related to the defects, including location, type size, severity and many more metrices, we were able provide the client with a holistic view of the property’s condition highlighting all tested issues.
With the conservation philosophy of English Heritage and Historic England at the heart of our approach, we used minimal intervention and techniques aligned to the history and the future repair requirements of the iconic Horse Guards building.
Project challenges
Being a building with unique access challenges and historical defects, it was essential that each elevation of the building was surveyed to ensure we collated the key data and information for existing defects.
Since Horse Guards is a Grade I listed building, the specific repair requirements with regards to listed building consent and conservation had to be carefully considered.
Because of the site layout, achieving safe access to inspect all areas was an issue.
The south elevation pitch roof had multiple slipped and missing slates. As an ageing building, the amount of slipped and missing slates suggested the damage to the trusses and joists from water intrusion was considerable.
• Historic cracks and failed repairs including failed joints and cracks in the stonework and lead flashing.