Sparrow Farm Drive
A JCT Design & Build contract to demolish derelict garages, and for the design and construction of nine flats, plus associated external works on a restricted access site, adjacent to a school playing field.
Sapphire Independent Living
Customer
Potter Raper
Employers agent
Project value
Nine flats for affordable rent
Size & tenure
Project start
Project end
Sustainability
All properties have Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHP) with underfloor heating to theground floors, and radiators to upper floors.
The windows were composite, with timber inners to achieve a good U value, and a powder coated aluminium outer face which is to reduce cyclical maintenance costs.
All dwellings have an array of south facing photo voltaic solar panels on the pitched roofs to offset the heating bills.
To comply with the GLA funding criteria the dwellings were all built in masonryconstruction (timber frame no longer permitted).
Insulation levels were designed to be better than the June 2022 Building Regulationsto help with the running costs for tenants.
The development is ‘zero gas’ so reducing the level of CO emissions, and reduces the Clients maintenance costs by saving on annual GasSafe inspections.
Challenges / Solutions
The site is accessed via a narrow driveway only 4m wide, so most of the materials will be maneuvered over 100m with a forklift after offloading on the road.
We met the residents and agreed an access protocol as some residents have garages in the rear gardens opposite the site, and on the approach road.
There are mature trees on the school field boundary which required protection. Due to restricted site area we have rented a small portion of the school site to serve as a compound and to build the flank wall of the flats. .
Demolition of the existing garages was required. When surveyed they proved to have asbestos containing material (ACM) roofs, which we had removed by specialist subcontractors.
Party Fence Awards were required with multiple neighbours. We assisted the Client’s Party Wall Surveyor to agree with the neighbouring properties.
We are communicating proactively with the residents and following an initial ‘Meet the
Contractor’ event we will keep all stakeholders abreast of the progress via newsletters and regular consultation meetings to ensure that all parties can give feedback
Lessons learned
- This is a complex site, with demolition and site remediation. We encountered rubbish left in some of the garages which added time and cost to the demolition phases. We now insist on inspections to all garages / buildings ahead of vacant possession.
- The fire access proved to be a lengthy negotiation despite the project being granted planning consent there was inadequate consultation with the London Fire Brigade, which we resolved. The flats have very enhanced thermal specification, based on Passivhaus principles. Earlier design workshops with the architect and supply chain specialists would have save time in developing the 1:10 construction details.
- Material deliveries are in close proximity of existing dwellings, on a narrow access road only 4m wide, so deliveries were all on smaller vehicles. We have considered this so the pre-cast planks forming the upper floors were designed as smaller components,
- Delivery times have been restricted, and coordinated to use parking areas away from site, until such time as we could call the driver in to be unloaded so as to minimise the impact on the surrounding roads.