Documenting the Station Agent's House for The Landmark Trust

In 1830, the Railway Age began with the launch of Liverpool Road Station, recognised as the first railway terminus specifically designed for inter-city passenger travel. The residence of its original Station Agent has been transformed by the Landmark Trust into an eco-friendly and accessible holiday let in the heart of Manchester. I was fortunate to photograph the building before the restoration, during its renovation and after completion.

Significant renovations in the 1980’s altered much of the station's original charm and interiors, so The Landmark Trust have chosen furnishings that reflect the elegance of the 1930’s and the golden age of steam travel.

In 1828, the site for what would become Liverpool Road Station was chosen by the Liverpool & Manchester Railway, under the guidance of Engineer George Stephenson, due to its strategic location. This building served as the home for the first Station Agent, Joseph Green, and was central to the station's development. It was here that many features defining train travel emerged, including waiting areas, signaling systems, ticketing, and the offices of the station agent.

As the world’s oldest surviving passenger railway station, Liverpool Road quickly became too small to accommodate the growing popularity of rail travel, leading to its eventual transformation into a goods and freight station by 1844. The station ceased operations in 1975, but its historical importance was recognized, and in 1983, it was repurposed into the Science and Industry Museum, with the Station Agent’s House serving as office space.

In collaboration with the Science & Industry Museum, our restoration project now allows the public to explore the Station Agent’s House for the very first time, marking an important step in the Museum’s initiative to provide visitors access to all aspects of this significant industrial heritage site, which spans seven acres.

Today, this historic Grade I listed building embodies a blend of innovative technology and environmental sustainability, equipped with features to support individuals with limited mobility, including a lift connecting its main floors.

Luneside for U+I

It was a real pleasure to work for Just H architects again, this time on their latest project for developers U+I.

Photographing their Luneside student accommodation a few weeks ago was helped along by some gorgeous unseasonal weather and the presence of the beautiful River Lune.

You can find Just H at just-h-architects.co.uk

and more about U+I can be found at uandiplc.com

What Makes a House a Home? for Hawkins/Brown

Hawkins\Brown have been debating this question for over 30 years and on Thursday 18 July 2019, hosted a party at Glass House One, Festival Square, to celebrate another successful year for Hawkins\Brown Studio North and their continued support of and involvement in Manchester International Festival.

The house: “a machine for living in” (Le Corbusier), or a place “to dream” (Gaston Bachelard)?

The panel delved into this rich and varied topic covering everything from co-living and the concept of community, to shifts in social demographics and changing lifestyles, to DfMA, buildability and volumetric housing, to what “home” means personally to each of the panellists. Some suggestions included: “my record collection”, “acoustic insulation (three children under the age of three!),” and “the freedom to DIY”.

Castle House for Just H Architects

Architectural photography for Just H architects. Documenting the retrofitting of the modernist former Co-operative Society’s Castle House market in Sheffield into a new food hall, venue, gallery, co-working space and home for the National Video Game Museum.