Contact

Lypiatt Lodge

  • Located in one of Cheltenham’s most prestigious residential areas, Lypiatt Lodge required the sensitive conversion of a Grade II Listed Victorian villa into 13 elegant apartments. RRA Architects carefully balanced heritage conservation with contemporary living, restoring original period features while creating beautifully proportioned homes within the historic building.
  • Status: Completed 2019
  • Location: Montpellier, Cheltenham
  • Value: >£2m
  • Contractor: T Riley Developments
  • Structural Engineer: Simpson Associates
  • Photo Credit: Savills, Cheltenham
  • Quantity Surveyors: Ward Williams Associates
  • Specialist Tanking Contractor: Guardian Preservation
  • Kitchen and Bathroom Suppliers: Bence Builders Merchants
  • Timespan: 18 Months
  • Categories: Conservation & Heritage, Developer Residential & Strategic Land
  • Tags: Apartment Conversion, apartment interiors, Award-Winning, Cheltenham Architects, Cheltenham property restoration, conservation architects, conservation design, Gloucestershire Architects, Grade II Listed building, heritage apartment conversion, heritage architecture, Heritage Restoration, historic building restoration, listed building architects Gloucestershire, listed building conversion, luxury apartments Cheltenham, period property conversion, Residential Architecture, RRA Architects, Victorian architecture, Victorian villa conversion
Exterior view of Lypiatt Lodge in Cheltenham, a Grade II Listed Victorian villa converted into luxury apartments by RRA Architects.
Exterior view of Lypiatt Lodge in Cheltenham, a Grade II Listed Victorian villa converted into luxury apartments by RRA Architects.
Internal corridor within the Grade II Listed Lypiatt Lodge apartment conversion showing restored period proportions, decorative detailing and timber flooring in Cheltenham.
Restored Victorian room interior at Lypiatt Lodge in Cheltenham featuring dark painted walls, decorative cornicing, timber flooring and contemporary artwork within the Grade II Listed conversion.
Contemporary kitchen within the Lypiatt Lodge apartment conversion featuring marble worktops, restored sash windows and period detailing.
Kitchen detail within a Lypiatt Lodge upper floor apartment conversion showing exposed brickwork, contemporary cabinetry and restored Victorian proportions.
Dining area within a converted Victorian apartment at Lypiatt Lodge featuring restored sash windows, decorative mouldings and contemporary interior styling.
Elegant living room within the Lypiatt Lodge apartment conversion in Cheltenham featuring restored bay windows, decorative cornicing, timber flooring and contemporary furnishings.
Arched window detail within the Lypiatt Lodge apartment conversion in Cheltenham featuring period mouldings and contemporary kitchen finishes.
Cheltenham Civic Society Award presented to the Lypiatt Lodge Grade II Listed apartment conversion project in recognition of the sensitive restoration and heritage conservation work completed in Cheltenham,
  • Exterior view of Lypiatt Lodge in Cheltenham, a Grade II Listed Victorian villa converted into luxury apartments by RRA Architects.
  • Exterior view of Lypiatt Lodge in Cheltenham, a Grade II Listed Victorian villa converted into luxury apartments by RRA Architects.
  • Internal corridor within the Grade II Listed Lypiatt Lodge apartment conversion showing restored period proportions, decorative detailing and timber flooring in Cheltenham.
  • Restored Victorian room interior at Lypiatt Lodge in Cheltenham featuring dark painted walls, decorative cornicing, timber flooring and contemporary artwork within the Grade II Listed conversion.
  • Contemporary kitchen within the Lypiatt Lodge apartment conversion featuring marble worktops, restored sash windows and period detailing.
  • Kitchen detail within a Lypiatt Lodge upper floor apartment conversion showing exposed brickwork, contemporary cabinetry and restored Victorian proportions.
  • Dining area within a converted Victorian apartment at Lypiatt Lodge featuring restored sash windows, decorative mouldings and contemporary interior styling.
  • Elegant living room within the Lypiatt Lodge apartment conversion in Cheltenham featuring restored bay windows, decorative cornicing, timber flooring and contemporary furnishings.
  • Arched window detail within the Lypiatt Lodge apartment conversion in Cheltenham featuring period mouldings and contemporary kitchen finishes.
  • Cheltenham Civic Society Award presented to the Lypiatt Lodge Grade II Listed apartment conversion project in recognition of the sensitive restoration and heritage conservation work completed in Cheltenham,

An award-winning, sensitive restoration and conversion of a Grade II Listed, Victorian villa into elegant contemporary apartments in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.

Originally constructed between 1840 and 1850, Lypiatt Lodge began life as a pair of semi-detached Victorian villas before later operating as a care home in the late 1900s. The building had been maintained over the years and already benefited from a lift installation, helping support its future residential conversion.

Project Highlights

  • Grade II Listed Victorian villa conversion
  • 13 contemporary apartments in Cheltenham
  • Heritage restoration and conservation-led design
  • Retention of original period detailing
  • Sensitive apartment layouts within historic fabric
  • Contemporary living within a protected heritage building
  • Cheltenham Civic Society Award winner 2020
  • Residential architecture in Gloucestershire

 

Challenges of a Grade II Listed Apartment Conversion in Cheltenham

The challenge of the project was not simply restoring the historic structure, but carefully reimagining the internal layout to create 13 individual apartments that each felt balanced, spacious and naturally connected. Within listed buildings, opportunities to introduce new openings or significantly alter historic fabric are often extremely limited. This required thoughtful planning and creative design solutions to ensure each apartment flowed comfortably while preserving the integrity and elegance of the original architecture.

Great care was taken to retain important period details throughout the building, including decorative cornicing, original shutters, tall ceilings and traditional Victorian proportions. The design approach respected the character of the historic interiors while introducing modern kitchens, bathrooms and living spaces suited to contemporary lifestyles.

Because only minimal historic fabric could be removed, every intervention had to be carefully considered in consultation with conservation officers and planners. The project demonstrates the importance of specialist conservation expertise when adapting historic buildings for new residential use, particularly where modern apartment layouts must be sensitively integrated within protected heritage architecture.

The quality and sensitivity of the restoration was recognised with a Cheltenham Civic Society Award in 2021, celebrating the successful conversion of the historic building into elegant contemporary homes. The completed apartments attracted considerable interest, with several homes sold before reaching the open market, reflecting both the quality of the restoration and the desirability of the location within Cheltenham.