July 9, 2026 / By rachel
Some buildings ask politely for a second chance, the Watershed arrived with water around its ankles and challenged us to do something useful with it.
For Week 18 of our 40 Projects in 40 Weeks series, we are deep diving into The Watershed, a Hereford heritage conversion that transformed an old, dilapidated single-storey riverside warehouse into a striking two-storey space on the banks of the River Wye.
Although the building had often flooded, a fact that had deterred other buyers, RRA Architects saw the potential: a chance to create a bold, contemporary building that could embrace it’s riverside location.
This week’s #40Projects40Weeks blog is a little more of a photo story than usual, because the transformation of The Watershed is best understood by seeing how it changed from a tired riverside store building into one of Hereford’s most recognisable contemporary heritage conversions.
From old store to riverside landmark
RRA bought the building at auction in 2004, while the practice was still renting offices at Packers House on West Street.
The idea was ambitious. Create a flexible event, exhibition and conference space first, but design it so that it could eventually become RRA’s own showcase Head Office beside the River Wye.
A visible building in the city was important. Not just as an advert, although admittedly a good building is more persuasive than a thousand leaflets, but also as a sign of confidence: RRA was committed to good design and to creating a practical, inspiring workspace for the team.
It was challenging, the building was listed so the actual structure needed protecting, it flooded (often) and it was in the view of the Cathedral and the setting of the 15th century, Grade 1 Listed Old Bridge, so needed to have minimal visual impact; there was no mistaking the design needed to be clever.
Flood resilience without the drama
Rather than trying to keep flood water out at all costs, the scheme embraced the idea of the occasional flood and enabled the building to cope.
The ground floor used natural Welsh slate flooring to withstand water. Services, such as electrics, were brought down from above and kept high. Materials were chosen carefully, with the idea that if the river did come in, the building could recover quickly and sensibly, a properly practical solution to the location.
And in a world where flooding is only becoming a bigger issue, that kind of thinking is very relevant and needs to be more considered countrywide.
A very useful concrete pod
At one end of the building, a new concrete pod was added to house the lift shaft, toilets, shower room, storage, stair support and kitchen. In other words, it did a lot of jobs. The architectural equivalent of the person at work who quietly knows where everything is.
The pod also provided essential structural support for the roof and first floor at that end of the building. It was cast in poured concrete using timber plank formwork, which left a natural timber pattern on the finished surface when the shuttering was removed. It was a very tense moment when the concrete was poured with everyone hoping the formwork could withstand the enormous weight and pressure of the wet concrete.
The result was a bespoke concrete wall with a robust, maintenance-free finish and a surprisingly warm, natural texture.
The glass box in the trees
The most dramatic part of the project was the new glazed first floor.
The idea was that being inside should feel like walking through the canopy of the surrounding trees. The glazing brought the parkland into the building, while its reflective surface helped the additional storey sit lightly, almost invisibly, in the landscape. The result was contemporary, considered; bold, but not brash. A glass box that borrowed the surrounding trees, to reflect them back to the viewer camouflaging itself into the canopy.
Tree-like steel and Gothic hints
The steel support structure was not just doing the heavy lifting, although it was certainly doing plenty of that. The branching forms were inspired by the surrounding trees, stretching through the building with the first floor carefully cut around them. They also hinted at the Gothic arch shapes, gently drawing the view and framing Hereford Cathedral and it’s early English Gothic Styling. These sculptural supports give the building one of its most memorable design features: structural steel that sits in with the trees and looks like it completely belongs in the landscape.
Materials with a warehouse memory
The Watershed was contemporary, but the design doesn’t ignore its humble beginnings and material choices were made to give a practical nod to the building’s former warehouse character. Mild steel ducts were used to house the services and appear as neat tracks in the solid oak first floor. A purpose-made aluminium grid in the roof space housed the air conditioning vents and lighting, while also doubling as a sunshade below the enormously long rooflight running over 10 metres along the apex.
Glass blocks brought light into the building, keeping the glazed feel but obscuring the ugly neighbouring wall. There were integrated speakers, controllable lighting for events and and house uplighters that highlighted the restored stone walls.
These details from the red tarmac outside defining the site boundary to the concealed uplighters that highlighted the restored stonework walls were considered and deliberate, so every feature performed a function, often several at once.
Still part of the RRA story
The Watershed went on to become a real Hereford landmark.
It operated as an event space, art gallery and later a gym, before becoming RRA’s Head Office. The building won a Hereford Conservation Areas Award in 2007 and was shortlisted for the RIBA Awards in 2008.
RRA sold The Watershed in 2019 and moved its Head Office to Royal Crescent in Cheltenham, but the building remains one of the practice’s most memorable, recogniseable and loved projects.
It is a strong reminder that conservation does not have to mean quiet. Sometimes the best way to protect an old building is to give it a bold new reason to exist.
You can see the full Watershed project page here.
This project is part of our #40Projects40Weeks series, celebrating 40 years of RRA Architects through some of the projects, people and stories that have shaped the practice. If you have missed any of the previous posts, do catch up on our News page.
About RRA Architects
Currently celebrating its 40th year, RRA Architects is an award-winning architectural practice established in 1986, supporting clients across residential, commercial, retail, development, heritage, education, community and conservation projects.
We work nationally, but are mostly focused across Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire, the Cotswolds, Bristol and Avon, the West Midlands, South West and South Wales, helping clients create thoughtful, practical and well-designed buildings.