Solution
One way to look at the situation would have been to hear the client's wishes and the council heritage officer's priorities and treat these two views as being in conflict with each other. Another approach, the one we took, was to work out how we could put together a design and a planning case that left everyone satisfied.
The key to it all was those Crittall-style windows and doors. They aren't, it's true, Victorian. But nor are they super-contemporary, and therefore we knew that the council would realise that they would not become instantly out-of-date. The planning department looked at our designs, and agreed that the result would work well in the context.
It was when construction was completed that it became clear how all well all the elements of the design functioned in real life. We don't need to say much here – just look at the photos. But we will say is that is one of our favourites of the many projects our team has ever worked on.