Solution
We came aboard what was already an interesting project. What had been designed resembled not a pair of original Victorian houses but rather two Victorian houses that had been heavily extended over the years. But before the new three homes could be built, there was a vast amount to be clarified, organised and designed.
Firstly, we needed confirmation that the land wasn’t contaminated. A sustainable urban drainage system (SUDS to people in the trade) had to be designed. Because the client was going to be building on a side garden, tree specialists had to make suggestions to ensure that the construction works wouldn’t harm the trees in neighbouring gardens. Energy experts came in to work out how to get CO2 emissions to be at least 35% lower than was asked for by the 2013 Building Regulations. That led to us adding solar (PV) panels to the scheme. Water usage, meanwhile, had to be designed to fewer than 105 litres a day per person.
We worked with landscape architects to specify the planting and handled the walls and the fences ourselves. There were also a couple of tricky things to help the owners settle: one was an arrangement with Network Rail, because the site backs onto tracks. The other was a Party Wall agreement with people whose house had previously been the end of the terrace - now they had to accept there would be new homes next door. (General point: if you are aiming to put a house or houses on a side garden, always try to get the neighbours onside as early as possible.)
That’s just a sample of the many tasks we work through and the main specialists whose contributions we had to keep track of and check before the council was satisfied and would allow building to begin. Local authorities, especially in London, are rightly demanding high standards, especially when it comes to the environmental aspects of construction projects. That means work that is time-consuming and detailed, something we are pleased to have shown again that we have the skills and the right approach for.