HAYMILLS the specialist building contractor has received a coveted award for its craftsmanship in building the new visitor centre at the ancient site of Sutton Hoo.
HAYMILLS the specialist building contractor has received a coveted award for its craftsmanship in building the new visitor centre at the ancient site of Sutton Hoo.
The project was commissioned by The National Trust to a design by architects van Heyningen & Haward, and took 15 months to complete at a cost of £3.5million.
It involved the construction of two new buildings to accommodate the 50,000 visitors a year the historic burial site expects to receive.
One building contains a restaurant, shop, and toilet facilities, while the other will function as an exhibition building. The buildings are timber framed, clad in timber boarding with a heavy zinc roof. The project also included the refurbishment of existing Tranmer House into education facilities and holiday flats, and the conversion of the coach house into offices and Wardens' facilities.
The award was presented by the Suffolk Association of Architects in recognition of the high quality of the work carried out by Haymills, and the outstanding level of craftsmanship employed in the construction.
Chief Executive of Haymills, Steve Feery, said of the award: " Working on such an important project was a privilege for us, and we are delighted to have our skills recognised in this way. Sutton Hoo is a site of huge cultural and historical significance and we were determined to do it justice in our building of the new centre. This award shows that we fulfilled that aim, and we are proud to have been involved."
Graham Lambert, spokesman for the Suffolk Association of Architects, said: " Haymills have done a great job in creating an ideal space for visitors to the site. The care and attention that they paid to the project was second to none, and it shows. This new centre will enable visitors to make the most of this exciting part of our heritage, and we hope that it will encourage even more people to visit Sutton Hoo."
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