5 Carlton Crescent, Southampton, SOU1730: Building Recording

The project was a building survey of the property known as 5 Carlton Crescent, Southampton, following a planning permission condition reference 14/01795/LBC. The purpose of the survey was to undertake an assessment of the historic nature and character of the building that is presently used as commercial offices. This was undertaken by means of a visual assessment and analysis of the building to understand its means of construction as well as the way it has been altered and adapted over time. A survey of readily accessible documentary sources was undertaken within the Southampton record office. Other sources of information were also researched. This assessment aims to meet the requirements of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). Whilst the external shell of the building from basement floor to parapet wall height on the front and side elevations is largely original 19th century work, very little of the remainder of the building is of great age. Overall the building has been much altered, adapted and extended in what would appear to be the last thirty years or so. Internally there has been substantial change and re-ordering of the rooms with dividing walls being removed, other altered and new ones inserted to change the configuration. The addition of a lift shaft on the rear elevation provided modern vertical transference through the building in its last use as professional offices. On the top of the building the former roof structure has been removed and replaced with a modern steel framed structure that entailed raising the head of the parapet walls on the front and sides. A new connection was formed to the lift shaft and head of the stairwell at the rear of the building with the top section of this being in anodised aluminium framing supporting bronze double glazing units.