Refurb Projects July 2018

PROJECTS
Work starts on first modular home bound for
innovative research project
Ahome destined for Tyne and
Wear is being brought to
life in a Yorkshire factory as
work on an innovative
housing research project gets
underway.
Gateshead Innovation Village, a
live research project led by Home
Group, one of the UK’s biggest
providers of homes for sale and
affordable rent, will see a range of
house designs take shape on the one
site. Working with an external
research partner, the scheme will
allow Home Group and its partners
to robustly compare and contrast
modern methods of construction.
The project aims to highlight
potential and viable solutions to the
housing crisis in a bid to grow
confidence in off-site builds within
the sector.
ilke Homes, a British modular
homes business specialising in the
latest off-site manufacturing
techniques, has started work on the
first modular volumetric unit that
will be delivered to the Gateshead
site in just ten weeks’ time.
In contrast to the traditional
‘start on site’ launch, key
stakeholders from Home Group,
funding partner Homes England and
development partner ENGIE, joined
colleagues at ilke Homes for a sneak
preview of its new factory where
work has begun just this week,
Joy Whinnerah, Head of Delivery,
Home Group said: “We’re all
incredibly excited about this project
as it will see a wide range of homes
and construction methods being
tried and tested together on the one
site.
“Not only that, but we are really
keen to understand what our
customers like and don’t like about
living in these types of homes. So
we will be monitoring a range of
aspects to check how these homes
perform for the customers who live
in them.”
As well as instilling confidence in
the sector to build at scale using
modern methods of construction,
the project aims to tackle negative
public perceptions based around
modular homes.
www.homegroup.org.uk
PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Green
First planning permisson awarded for Mansard roof
extension in Tower Hamlets’ conservation area
Amulti-disciplinary
construction consultancy is
set to work on the first
mansard roof extension
granted planning permission in a
canalside conservation area since
the council changed its planning
policy on their use.
Daniel Connal Partnership (DCP)
will be acting as party wall
surveyors on the scheme in the
Driffield Road Conservation Area
which has received the go-ahead
from the London Borough of Tower
Hamlets.
The team at DCP, which has
offices in Norwich, Colchester and
London, will work alongside
architects Rivington Street Studio to
convert, extend and reconfigure
375-377 Roman Road.
The scheme incorporates a
mansard roof extension, carefully
designed by the architect to
minimise its impact on the street
scene and the existing character of
the Conservation Area, while still
providing spacious, functional, high
quality accomodation in the
adjacent properties.
Several earlier examples of
mansard roof extensions already
exist on this part of Roman Road,
illustrating that they are a previous
feature of the area, but in recent
years their use has not been
acceptable to the local authority.
In June 2017 the London Borough
of Tower Hamlets agreed to change
its policy to strike a balance between
protecting the heritage of the
buildings while ensuring homes meet
current housing needs.
Jason Froude, partner at DCP, said:
“We are thrilled to be involved in the
first project in the Driffield Road
Conservation Area to be awarded
planning permission for a design
which includes a mansard roof.
“Following the borough’s decision
to relax its policy, we’re confident that
many other local residents will choose
this type of extension to increase their
available space.”
The properties concerned have
been vacant for several years and are
in need of extensive repair and
refurbishment to maximise their
appeal, viability and value. The layout
of the buildings, which offer
commercial units on ground floor
with residential accommodation
above, is typical of street scenes in
the conservation area.
Jason added: “The approved plans
from Rivington Street Studio will
resolve the problems of the existing
rear extensions to both properties
being in a poor state of repair and the
residential accommodation above
being cramped and lacking amenity
space.”
The scheme will provide two
improved commercial units on the
ground and basement floors, while
the first and second floors will benefit
from well-designed spacious
residential accommodation in the
form of three flats with private
amenity areas.
The project has already started on
site with estimated completion in
Summer 2019.
www.danielconnal.co.uk
Twitter: @DCP_Surveyors
38 JULY 2018, REFURBISHMENT PROJECTS