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UK: Architectural design firm Studio Moren has secured planing from Dacorum Borough Council to renovate Pendley Manor in Hertfordshire.
Set within 35 acres of historic parkland on the edge of the Chilterns National Landscape, Pendley Manor is a Grade II-listed hotel. setting.
The proposals aim to retain the manor house and replace temporary structures with permanent buildings, such as the removal of an existing marquee and replacing it with an events and leisure building.
Additional guest accommodation will be included in a new bedroom wing, alongside the reconfiguration of existing buildings. Guestroom layouts have been refined to “prioritise quality over quantity”.
The scheme also includes landscape-led drainage, biodiversity enhancements, woodland management and the use of energy-efficient systems and materials.
Herbert Lui, partner at Studio Moren, said: “Pendley Manor is a place of remarkable architectural and landscape significance, and our ambition from the outset has been to work with that inheritance rather than compete with it. The proposals are deliberately measured and the alterations to the existing manor house are intended to enhance the guest experience in a way that celebrates the hotel’s spectacular setting. This work will give a new lease of life to underutilised outbuildings and remove obsolete structures to increase natural habitats for wildlife.”
Teodoro Mastrantonio, project architect at Studio Moren, added: “From a design perspective, the focus has been on clarity and coherence – removing elements that feel temporary or unresolved, and replacing them with architecture that belongs to the estate. New elements are recessive and clearly legible as contemporary additions, taking cues from the manor’s massing, materials and rhythm, while remaining quieter in their expression, allowing the historic fabric and landscape to remain the primary focus.”
Highlights:
- Studio Moren has secured planning permission from Dacorum Borough Council to renovate Pendley Manor, a Grade II-listed hotel in Hertfordshire.
- The historic manor house will be retained while replacing temporary structures, including the removal of an existing marquee and delivery of a new permanent events and leisure building.
- Plans include a new bedroom wing with guestroom layouts refined to prioritise quality over quantity.
- The scheme incorporates sustainability and biodiversity measures, including landscape-led drainage, woodland management, biodiversity enhancements and energy-efficient systems and materials.
