The transformation of the Wordsworth Museum in Grasmere, in the heart of the Lake District, was completed to tie in with the 250th anniversary of the poet's birth.

With support from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), the Museum was redesigned to create a new central hub for visitors at the top of the site, providing a much-needed place for people to begin their visit. This building has been extended to provide additional gallery space along with a new external viewpoint plant area, which has views over the local landscape.

Existing buildings throughout the site have been sensitively converted or extended to provide a more engaging experience as well as improved amenities.

On behalf of the Wordsworth Trust and working alongside Purcell Architects, we provided M&E Engineering and Building Physics & Modelling for this project.

The Museum now hosts new exhibits of some of Wordsworth's key artefacts as well as allowing touring exhibitions to present their work within the dedicated Special Exhibition Gallery. An efficient, mechanical ventilation re-circulation system is provided within these spaces to keep the environment conditions stable in these areas and preserve the exhibits. A fresh ventilation unit provides modulated fresh air to maintain high quality internal conditions during busier periods.

Dove Cottage, a Grade I listed building where Wordsworth lived for much of his life, has been carefully redeveloped throughout, with new building services providing a more immersive experience as an 'active exhibition'. Conservation heating is used in the cottage to preserve the building fabric so it is enjoyed by the public for many centuries to come.

The old shop has been redeveloped to include a new cafe with an outdoor seating area to give visitors a place to rest and replenish. In addition, the old cafe building has been converted into a Learning Centre to host education and community events that form a core element of the Trust's work.

All of these separate buildings have been brought together by key sections of re-landscaped areas, which allow greater public access to gardens and woodlands, and connect visitors closely with the surrounding landscape that inspired one of the nation's greatest poets.