Josh Attwood
Studio

Josh Attwood Studio designed and built a new website for DBR Limited, a specialist conservation company working on historic buildings across the UK. Established in 1990, DBR works on projects ranging from palaces and cathedrals to private residences, delivering stonework, leadwork, gilding, and heritage conservation services.

The project spanned two years of development, representing a complete repositioning of DBR's digital presence and business strategy. Working with copywriter Emma Keyte and architectural photographer Simon Kennedy, the transformation addresses fundamental challenges in how DBR was perceived and how effectively they could communicate their unique position in the conservation sector.

Strategic challenges

DBR's previous WordPress website obscured rather than clarified their offering. Prospective clients couldn't easily understand the breadth of projects DBR undertakes — whether they worked on major public commissions, residential projects, or both. The site was service and text-heavy, relying on claims of expertise rather than demonstrating it through work. DBR's unique selling proposition had become unclear, even internally. For a company that applies innovative, progressive approaches to historic building conservation, the website felt static and failed to reflect their forward-thinking methodology.

Repositioning through storytelling

The fundamental shift was from telling to showing. Rather than stating "we are the best," the new site demonstrates expertise through the quality and diversity of completed projects. Emma Keyte developed new brand positioning around "Conservationists for a changing world" – framing DBR as a modern, innovative company working with historic buildings. Just because they work with history doesn't mean their approach must be historic. This repositioning runs throughout the site, from the expanded "Our story" narrative incorporating 35 years of archive imagery, to individual project pages that showcase technical innovation alongside traditional craftsmanship.

Simon Kennedy's new architectural photography ensures DBR's work is represented with appropriate visual impact, replacing the disconnected imagery that previously undersold the significance of their projects.

Making the breadth visible

A sophisticated custom-built filtering system addresses the core challenge of communicating scope. Users can navigate projects by category (civic, sacred spaces, palaces, commercial, residential), services (stone conservation, gilding, leadwork, historic flooring), grade listing (Grade I, II*, UNESCO sites, conservation areas), fabric (lead, slate, terracotta, stone, marble), and year (2000-2026). This allows architects, property owners, heritage bodies, and public sector clients to quickly identify relevant case studies – whether they're specifying conservation for a Grade I listed palace or seeking expertise for a residential project.

The filtering demonstrates that DBR operates across the full spectrum: multi-million-pound public commissions and more modest-scale residential conservation sit alongside each other, unified by the same commitment to quality craftsmanship.

Image-first project storytelling

The modular project page system provides flexible content blocks allowing each project to be presented on its own terms. Projects lead with compelling imagery, supported by technical narrative that explains methodology, challenges, and craft expertise. This image-first approach reflects the visual nature of conservation work while the modular structure accommodates varying project scales – from a simple stone repair to a multi-year palace restoration – without forcing everything into the same template.

Supporting business operations

Beyond repositioning, the site improves operational efficiency. The expanded team section showcases the depth of expertise across DBR's 100+ employees, supporting recruitment and building client confidence. The awards section links recognitions (Stone Federation, RICS, Europa Nostra, Sussex Heritage Trust, Civic Trust) back to their associated projects, providing third-party validation without relying on claims.

The "Get in Touch" function was rebuilt as an interactive overlay with a guided flow system, directing enquiries by type (general, new business, accounts, media) to the relevant team. Custom-coded email notification templates ensure enquiries reach the right people efficiently – critical for a company operating across multiple offices and specialisms.

The dual-menu navigation system keeps core content (Projects, Services, Journal) immediately accessible while providing structured access to deeper information through a secondary menu. The site achieved Lighthouse scores of 99 for performance, 100 for best practices, and 100 for SEO.

Built on Craft CMS, migrated from WordPress.

Copywriting: Emma Keyte (Free Projects) 
Photography: Simon Kennedy