Awarded 'Best Conservation, Alteration or Extension of an Existing Building' 2018 - <£2m by Cambridge City Council and the CFCI. 114 Mill Road epitomises shop premises formed from Victorian terrace conversions up and down the country and successfully overcomes the difficulties commonly presented by tight urban sites and their need to be updated. The project involves the extension and redevelopment of an existing retail space and living space above. The part demolition of existing rear out-buildings enabled us to provide an additional studio flat and two new maisonettes on the site. To ensure the continued economic viability of Cambridge Mill Road Butchers as a local independent retailer, the existing shop was refurbished with a new layout and finishes, creating a new efficient and customer-friendly shop environment. The residential accommodation is broken into a series of constructed bays to give each residential unit (including the two first floor flats above the shop), their own access from the street. This brings several advantages by allowing for improved daylight penetration into the units, keeping the scale in-line with surrounding buildings, while creating a buffer between the pavement and the private realm of the units, providing a threshold to the street. Challenges at this site include retaining an operational retailer, re-organising internal circulation to create more useable internal space, and restricted site access. However, the project has benefitted from an open-minded and ‘can-do’ client attitude, a knowledgeable project team and the desire to deliver a project that ensures buildings of this type remain a key part of the City’s fabric, while supporting a diversified local community. The design blends old and new to reinvigorate the street scene, while creating a sustainable location to live and shop.