One of the most prestigious residential development projects in the UK has recently been completed using a number of different products from Sto. StoTherm Classic external wall insulation and StoDeco profiles have been used to provide high levels of thermal insulation and an outstanding external appearance for the 11 new
Wates Residential is to deliver a new £27 million housing development at Shuttleworth Road in Wandsworth. The project includes 71 affordable new homes in the borough, supporting Wandsworth Council’s target to build 1,000 homes for local residents. At the ground breaking ceremony Paul Nicholls, Managing Director of Wates Residential, said:
Demand for housing in the UK’s capital has never been higher, as such there are a number of development projects underway. A major development project taking place along the River Thames will see a collection of high-quality and it is PRS & affordable rent built incorporating modern mechanical, electrical and
An architecturally designed new build home completed recently in County Cork utilises high performance weberend MT multi-coat render system by Saint-Gobain Weber. Designed by award-winning practice Simply Architecture, of Cork City, this contemporary property is a timber frame construction manufactured by ECO Timber Frame, Carrigaline, Cork. Gareth Sullivan, who is
Keyland Developments Ltd, the property trading arm of Kelda Group and sister-company to Yorkshire Water, has signed its largest Planning Promotional Agreement (PPA) to date. The agreement relates to a proposed major urban extension which aims to deliver some 2000 homes, employment, community facilities, the Featherstone bypass and open space
200 new homes will be delivered by Wates Residential on the south coast. The contractor has already started work on its Daedalus Village scheme, marking this occasion with a time capsule burial in Lee-on-the-Solent. The site will see the rise of a mix of housing consisting of 120 private homes
A new study has revealed the shocking extent of England’s empty homes crisis, with more than 600,000 homes remaining vacant. The study, conducted by Good Move, has found that a third of empty homes are classed as long-term vacant, after being empty for more than six months. The city of
A Swansea-based housing association has received £4.8 million in grant funding from the Welsh Government to deliver three new innovative housing projects across south west Wales. As part of its Innovative Housing Programme, the Welsh Government is to distribute a total of £43 million of housing funding among 26[1] projects
1,500 new homes are to be delivered by Wates Developments and Redrow Homes in Wretchwick Green, Bicester. Cherwell District Council’s Planning Committee granted approval to the revised planning application, which includes housing of dwelling types, sizes and tenures to meet the range of local needs. “This is a great example
Gap Homes, a concept design of factory constructed, contemporary and cost-effective eco-homes, has been launched by the architects from international firm BDP’s Bristol studio. BDP is sponsoring the Bristol Housing Festival, which opens this week on the 19th of October with the launch exhibition that will showcase creative and innovative
One of the most prestigious residential development projects in the UK has recently been completed using a number of different products from Sto. StoTherm Classic external wall insulation and StoDeco profiles have been used to provide high levels of thermal insulation and an outstanding external appearance for the 11 new properties which make up the development in St John’s Wood, London, close to the world-famous Abbey Road Recording Studios. Created by the Dwyer Property development group, the Hamilton Drive scheme includes a terrace of 10 homes – each with three storeys above ground and two below – plus a separate larger property. The houses were required to achieve a very high standard of architectural finish and detailing, plus a BREEAM Excellent rating for construction sustainability. Sto solutions were selected for this project as they offered a unique combination of speedy construction and outstanding quality of finish. “Building the properties with traditional methods and using stone detailing for the façades would have taken considerably longer, and the client was looking for a fast-track solution,” explains Sto’s Regional Sales Manager, Pete Bishop. “Our StoTherm Classic system was specified as it provides outstanding thermal performance and can be installed quickly and easily. StoDeco Profiles were chosen for the intricate ‘stone’ architectural detailing, providing the same look as stone, but in a material that is both lightweight and easy to cut and shape.” The StoTherm Classic external wall insulation used on the 70,000sq ft project was installed onto an NHBC-compliant pvc rail system, using a drained cavity designed to ensure that water and moisture is excluded from the main wall structure. The cement-free StoTherm Classic EWI System offers market-leading impact resistance, being able to withstand impacts of up to 60 joules – up to 10 times more than a cementitious system – and as it needs no additional expansion joints the system allows greater freedom of façade design. For this project the system was finished with a 1.5mm coat of StoSilco silicone resin render to provide a high degree of water repellence and resistance to the effects of weathering. “The architectural detailing on the building façades was created using StoDeco Profiles,” explains John Tehan of Smallwood Architects of London. The range of profiles, manufactured using the remarkable Verolith material, are weather resistant, durable, lightweight and easy to work and install. Available in a wide range of standard designs, including sills, cornices, and many other decorative architectural elements, StoDeco Profiles can also be custom made to provide a unique visual appearance. “At Hamilton Drive the profiles were used to create cornice, window and chimney detailing, plus a wealth of columns, arches, dentil courses and other features that were required to enhance the building’s classically-inspired design,” adds John Tehan. “Sto were closely involved with this project, and many of the individual StoDeco Profiles were manufactured to bespoke sizes and designs, to allow the required detailing to be created.” “There was an enormous quantity of detailing required on this project and the standard of finish had to be the very best,” comments John Bishop of Kennet Construction, a Sto authorised applicator who completed the installation work. “Fortunately, the Sto products were very easy to work with. Many of the StoDeco Profiles were pre-cut prior to delivery, and they proved to be very easy to work, shape and sand on-site so that we could achieve a perfect finish.” Picture caption: One of the most prestigious residential development projects in the UK has recently been completed using a number of different products from Sto. StoTherm Classic external wall insulation and StoDeco profiles were used on the project in St John’s Wood, London.
Wates Residential is to deliver a new £27 million housing development at Shuttleworth Road in Wandsworth. The project includes 71 affordable new homes in the borough, supporting Wandsworth Council’s target to build 1,000 homes for local residents. At the ground breaking ceremony Paul Nicholls, Managing Director of Wates Residential, said: “Today’s ground breaking event marks an exciting milestone in our delivery of much-needed affordable new homes for local people at Shuttleworth Road. It follows months of collaboration with the Council, members of the community and other local stakeholders to really understand their vision for the area and how we can realise this, both through the design and construction of these homes and looking at ways we can create wider local economic and social value. We look forward to strengthening these relationships as we continue to progress on site.” Wates has been undertaking preparatory works on the site since May 2018. This latest development marks the official beginning of the site’s main construction phase, with completion of the scheme due in the Summer of 2020. “This is another demonstration of our commitment to build 1,000 new homes on our larger development sites, which will help people in the borough buy or rent a home that is right for them. We’re delighted to partner with Wates Residential on this scheme and look forward to strengthening our relationship with them to provide quality housing for local people,” added Wandsworth Council Leader, Ravi Govindia. All social housing that is demolished as part of the regeneration will also be replaced with affordable homes. The completion of these new homes will directly support the borough’s wider Winstanley and York Road Estates regeneration programme by providing affordable homes for those needing to move.
Demand for housing in the UK’s capital has never been higher, as such there are a number of development projects underway. A major development project taking place along the River Thames will see a collection of high-quality and it is PRS & affordable rent built incorporating modern mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) services. Parker Bromley, the building services contractor on the site, has specified Spelsberg’s innovative IBT system of junction boxes. Parker Bromley is a well established, family owned business specialising in MEP systems. As part of the London development project it has been tasked to deliver embedded MEP solutions including heat recovery (MVHR), smoke ventilation and fire alarm systems as well as an ‘Energy Centre’ to service each apartment block. It was tasked with minimizing installation time to help keep the overall development project to deadline. Jody Parker, Director at Parker Bromley, explains the challenges involved: “Concrete construction is a fast, effective and aesthetic method for building apartment blocks such as the ones being built here. However, when casting panels onsite it is important that considerations are made for the necessary wiring and electrical connections. We chose to specify Spelsberg’s IBT system of junction boxes, which fit to the metal formwork before the concrete is poured. When the concrete is set and the formwork removed, the face of the IBT housing is visible. All the required housings and conduits are then in place, ready for cabling and installation.” A key element of the IBT system is the integral sealing, which prevents concrete fines from getting inside the electrical components. This uses a patented diaphragm system which, after the conduit is inserted, returns to its original position and provides strain relief and sealing without the need for special grommets. Conventional housings do not have such a seal, a sealing arrangement would have to be fitted in-situ, a difficult and costly process. The IBT products are made from halogen-free, high-temperature resistant material which is designed for a long, trouble-free life. The range is available in a wide range of sizes. With more and more projects now requiring extra low voltage (ELV) transformers for LED lighting, loudspeakers and network communications cables, Spelsberg has also developed the complementary IBTronic range. ’Jody continues: “We first approached Spelsberg at the recommendation of another one of their customers. We knew the solutions we were looking for, we just needed to find a supplier that we could trust to deliver quality housings to the right time frame. The customer service from Spelsberg has been perfect, helping us to stick our company ethos of total customer satisfaction.”
An architecturally designed new build home completed recently in County Cork utilises high performance weberend MT multi-coat render system by Saint-Gobain Weber. Designed by award-winning practice Simply Architecture, of Cork City, this contemporary property is a timber frame construction manufactured by ECO Timber Frame, Carrigaline, Cork. Gareth Sullivan, who is principal architect at Simply Architecture, designed the property for his own family and project managed the build. The brief was to design an energy efficient family home that incorporated innovative construction methods to overcome the challenges of a problematic site. Simply Architecture is an RIAI and RIBA accredited practice excelling in well-crafted bespoke projects. Gareth is also a Certified Passive House Designer. Gareth comments: “Our family home (1900sq ft) is set into a very difficult small and steeply sloping site in Douglas. The site is compromised by three existing wayleaves which allows access to service pipes that restrict the area available to a small wedge-shaped space. As a result, there were many failed planning applications by a previous owner. The solution proposed maximising the unconventional shaped footprint with a split-level form.” Essentially the property had to be energy efficient and use systems that made it easier to build on this challenging site. As a result, a timber frame construction was chosen with a cement board and a multi-coat render system. The Passive House certified timber frame system created by ECO Timber Frame, which typically uses 90% less energy than conventional construction designs, includes key features of high thermal insulation and very low U-values with almost no thermal bridging. A very high level of air-tightness, passive gains utilising solar panels, and a MHRV – mechanical heat recovery ventilation system – are incorporated in the design. Walls are insulated within the timber structure with much of the fabrication work carried out off-site helping to reduce time and costs during the early build programme. Overall this contributes to greater project efficiencies, easier access, a cleaner and tidier site, and a substantially reduced on-site build programme. “Much of our work is with the one off and self-build sector,” says Stephen Spillane, joint owner of ECO Timber Frame. “It was clear from the beginning that Gareth was committed to building to Passive House standards which worked out nicely as our system was awarded certification at around the time the order was placed. “We use only eco-friendly building materials resulting in high quality, extremely well insulated, air-tight timber frame homes. Our system is designed for clients who want to build a low-energy property, or to Passive House standards.” A construction system using an EPS insulated foundation with a timber frame structure proved to be the most efficient method. The timber frame is a certified Passive House system with an overall thickness of 362mm to the external walls which have a U-value of 0.12 W/m²K. Stephen continues: “Working with any architect requires close attention to detail, even more so when the architect is also the client. The shape of the house certainly posed some challenges which led to a bit of head scratching in both the design office and the factory, but when the frame went to site it all fitted like a glove.” The weberend MT multi-coat system by Weber, the leading manufacturer of innovative materials, systems and solutions for the construction industry, has BBA certification. This accreditation meets NHBC requirements for new build housing where builders and developers are constantly seeking modern methods of construction for speed and cost efficiency. The weberend MT system is designed to rapidly finish buildings of frame and panel construction. weberend MT is a light-weight render system which incorporates glass-fibre meshcloth reinforcement with a resin-rich adhesive coat that can carry a choice of finishes in a wide range of colours. This modern render system is designed for large areas of stable render carrier boards without the need for expressed joints to create smooth, modern design aesthetics. weberend MT is also suitable for application to uneven masonry or mixed substrates where a high level of crack resistance is required. Application onto a panel background requires an initial 3mm pass of weberend LAC. The glass fibre reinforcing mesh is laid in as this coat takes up and a second 3mm of weberend LAC is applied. Sponge finish achieves a flat surface. When fully dry, weber PR310 primer is applied prior to the selected finish. A variety of textured finishes in a wide selection of colours can be used to produce weatherproof, vapour permeable protection. The weberend MT application was carried out by Michal Sasinowski of M S Plastering, Glanmire, Co. Cork who found it interesting to see this unique design and the fast build program achieved with off-site construction. weberend MT system was hand applied to achieve uniform colour and texture using the colour Welsh Slate for this contemporary and attractive home. Weber products are manufactured in the UK at sites in Bedfordshire, Shropshire and Co Antrim, ensuring efficient availability and lead times, adding to the company’s sustainability policy, reduced CO₂ emissions and transportation costs. For more information about this project, or for technical support including award winning training courses, please contact Saint-Gobain Weber on 08703 330 070, or visit www.uk.weber. A free download of the Weber App for iPhone and iPad users is also available from iTunes and from Google Play for Android smartphones and tablet users. Follow Saint-Gobain Weber on Twitter @SGWeberUK for the latest company news and updates.
Keyland Developments Ltd, the property trading arm of Kelda Group and sister-company to Yorkshire Water, has signed its largest Planning Promotional Agreement (PPA) to date. The agreement relates to a proposed major urban extension which aims to deliver some 2000 homes, employment, community facilities, the Featherstone bypass and open space on a 300 acre site in Wakefield. A masterplan has been developed for the transformational project which incorporates a new strategic highway to relieve congestion in the area, market facing employment with good transport links to the nearby motorways, approximately 2,000 new homes addressing the housing deficit of the district, community facilities including a new primary school, a new retail offer to complement the existing town centre and accessible green space with a link to the proposed nine lakes. The development of the site represents a significant opportunity to enable housing-led regeneration to create a critical mass of population to reinforce the facilitate the delivery of the bypass, whilst improving the setting of the existing settlement itself. The development will also act as a catalyst for enhancing local services, encourage further expenditure within the local economy and attract future inward investment into the area. Having developed the masterplan, the landowners have now entered into an agreement with Keyland Developments who will take on the promotion of the scheme through Wakefield Council’s forthcoming Local Plan Review. The agreement represents Keyland’s sixth West Yorkshire PPA, with previous agreements in Leeds, Calderdale and Kirklees. The PPA’s involve Keyland working with independent landowners, corporates or regulated bodies to overcome obstacles to development on strategic sites to facilitate regeneration by securing planning consent for future use. Peter Garrett, Managing Director of Keyland Developments Ltd, said; “Keyland’s PPA agreements enable landowners within the region to derive the maximum potential from their sites with no financial risk, whilst unlocking much-needed land to assist the local authorities in meeting their long-term housing needs. The project, which aims to deliver multiple and far-reaching social, economic and transport benefits is ideally suited to our expertise of facilitating the future regeneration of strategic land. It will be a major transformational project and we are delighted to lead the dedicated team to bring the vision to life.” Keyland will now continue to positively engage with the Council and other stakeholders to maximise the regenerative potential of this strategically located site. The project team includes Spawforths as planning consultant, Carter Jonas for residential development advice and i-Transport for highways advice.
200 new homes will be delivered by Wates Residential on the south coast. The contractor has already started work on its Daedalus Village scheme, marking this occasion with a time capsule burial in Lee-on-the-Solent. The site will see the rise of a mix of housing consisting of 120 private homes and 80 affordable homes. Part of the Accelerated Construction Model together with four other national pilot sites, the Homes England initiative was designed to enable the Government to fast-track the building of homes on publicly owned land and diversify housing delivery. “We are very proud to have started work on the Daedalus Village site, which has a rich history and a very promising future, and are pleased that so many people from the local community joined us to celebrate this significant moment with a time capsule burial,” said Paul Nicholls, Managing Director of Wates Residential South. “Through our work, we will not only deliver 200 new high quality homes for local people but will also increase opportunities in the area through our investment in education, training and skills,” he added. Local suppliers will be appointed for the new homes on the south coast, while residents will benefit from the creation of training and educational opportunities, which aim to boost the local economy. This includes 10 apprenticeships, work experience placements for local students and courses aimed at unemployed adults. The homes are expected to be completed in late 2020. Wates Residential is responding to the needs of its customers by developing mixed tenure housing schemes in partnership with both public and private sector organisations. The business covers new-build and partnership housing development activities, reaffirming its long-term commitment to deliver new homes and to help address the UK’s urgent need for new housing. Its partnership housing offer includes building and selling homes to the public, as well as providing affordable homes for social landlords.
A new study has revealed the shocking extent of England’s empty homes crisis, with more than 600,000 homes remaining vacant. The study, conducted by Good Move, has found that a third of empty homes are classed as long-term vacant, after being empty for more than six months. The city of Liverpool takes the crown for the most vacant properties, with a staggering 10,512 properties laying empty last year. The data comes despite efforts by Liverpool City Council to reduce the amount of unused homes with a free matchmaking service to introduce buyers and sellers of empty homes, in a bid to bring more empty homes into use. Birmingham follows closely behind, with 10,386 empty homes. The city famous for its Bullring accounts for 17% of West Midlands’ total number of unoccupied homes. The Yorkshire city of Leeds has the third highest number of empty homes throughout the country, with 10,263 properties vacant. Leeds’ empty homes equates to 14% of Yorkshire and the Humber’s empty homes. The North West has the most unoccupied properties, with 102,847 homes laying empty across the region, and 38% of those being vacant for longer than six months. Liverpool has the most empty homes in the North West, and the country as a whole, with 10,512 properties that are not in use in 2017. Following closely behind the North West is the South East, with a staggering 86,693 vacant properties last year. Of the 86,000 empty homes, 29% of those have been unoccupied for longer than six months.
A Swansea-based housing association has received £4.8 million in grant funding from the Welsh Government to deliver three new innovative housing projects across south west Wales. As part of its Innovative Housing Programme, the Welsh Government is to distribute a total of £43 million of housing funding among 26[1] projects across Wales this year, including three projects put forward by Coastal Housing, a housing association which operates across Swansea, Carmarthenshire, Bridgend and Neath Port Talbot. Each of the successful applicants had to demonstrate how they would use innovation in a bid to improve the quality of housing in Wales. The first Coastal project – a collaboration with Gower-based social enterprise, Down to Earth (DTE) – will provide six new homes as part of a larger site in Pennard. The homes will be built using timber frame, clad using traditional methods, and will generate over half of their heat passively, from the sun and their design, ensuring that residents’ utility bills cost just £15 per month. The £2m project’s most innovative feature, however, is the people who will be building the homes. DTE provides the opportunity for some of south Wales’ most vulnerable groups – including adults with brain injuries and young people at risk of psychosis, as well as asylum seekers and veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) – to reduce their depression and anxiety levels and improve their skills by working on these construction projects. The project will bring together the previously siloed areas of construction and healthcare by providing vital rehabilitation for local people who are suffering from a variety of mental health issues. A second £500,000 grant will allow Coastal to build 12 homes planned at Killan Road in Dunvant to energy-positive standards, which means they will produce more energy than they use. The homes will be built using the Homes as Power Stations (HAPS) model, with a focus on reducing energy consumption and addressing fuel poverty through reduced reliance on fossil fuels. This new street of innovative, energy positive homes will use solar PV, electric battery storage and borehole ground source heat pumps (GSHP) to generate up to 80% of their energy required for heat and power. The remaining 20% will be provided by the electricity grid, of which a small percentage will come directly from a community owned local solar farm, administered by Gower Power. Coastal Housing will also provide an electric vehicle for communal use as part of the project. The third project to receive grant funding will be Innovation Park in Neath Port Talbot. This £2.2m development will comprise of 8 new homes, all constructed off-site, to showcase the best modular designs from Wales and Japan. As modular housing is still an emerging construction technique in Wales, Costal hopes that the project will provide an opportunity to learn from other countries where it is more advanced. Gareth Davies, director of development at Coastal Housing, said that without the grants, it would not have been possible to progress these three important projects. “At Coastal, we pride ourselves on demonstrating innovation in all we do, from how we deal with people to how we manage our finances, from how we build our homes to how we develop communities, so we are thrilled to have three of our most innovative housing projects selected for funding. “All three developments are very different but equally exciting. Each one will seek to deliver affordable and environmentally-friendly homes, using modern and innovative, energy-efficient construction methods, but will also help the wider community by helping to reduce fuel poverty and providing much-needed job and skills development opportunities. “By providing this vital support, the Welsh Government has shown its commitment to backing the cutting edge work that is going on in housing innovation across Wales, which can only have a positive influence on the Welsh built environment of the future.”
1,500 new homes are to be delivered by Wates Developments and Redrow Homes in Wretchwick Green, Bicester. Cherwell District Council’s Planning Committee granted approval to the revised planning application, which includes housing of dwelling types, sizes and tenures to meet the range of local needs. “This is a great example of how large-scale developments can be brought forward successfully and sympathetically which local people will be proud of for years to come,” said a spokesperson for Wates Developments and Redrow Homes. “While we have changed significant aspects of the masterplan over time, the core ethos for the site has remained in place. We want to create a great place to live and work, with a strong identity of its own, but with equally strong links to Bicester and the surrounding area. Our aim now is to continue to work positively with all stakeholders allowing development to be brought forward swiftly and homes to be built to meet the urgent local need,” the spokesperson added. A key part of the ‘garden town’ plan for the area, the project ensures the amount of open space extends to 71.64 hectares, which equates to over 50% of the overall site. Over four hectares of sports pitches are also provided in one location. Adjacent to the shops and community facility, a new primary school is planned. Meanwhile, approximately eight play areas will be provided across the site including a destination play area which has been designed to be accessible to existing local residents, as well as new ones. In addition, up to 7 hectares of employment land provision has been included, which could provide around 750 high quality local jobs and a vibrant mix of uses within the scheme, together with creating a significant number of jobs through the development phase. The project team consulted with Historic England to redesign the area around the medieval village to the west of the site in order to better respect its setting.
Gap Homes, a concept design of factory constructed, contemporary and cost-effective eco-homes, has been launched by the architects from international firm BDP’s Bristol studio. BDP is sponsoring the Bristol Housing Festival, which opens this week on the 19th of October with the launch exhibition that will showcase creative and innovative housing solutions. The new Gap Home prototype, designed specifically for small plots of land in towns and cities will also be present. “We are in dire need of new homes for a new generation. BDP’s eco Gap Homes will be quickly constructed, cost effective, sustainable and, most important of all, stylish, comfortable and practical to live in,” said Nick Fairham, architect director in BDO’s Bristol studio. “Disused garage plots on existing housing estates are an ideal location for these homes. Many of them have fallen into disrepair, becoming a magnet for everything from fly tipping to anti-social behaviour. Putting new, attractive and carefully designed houses in their place will not only help deliver much-need new homes, it will also bring new energy and life into these areas, revitalising neighbourhoods and helping to build stronger, more resilient communities,” he added. The eco-homes will be made in hi-tech factory conditions and assembled on site up to 40% faster than traditional construction, helping people move into their new homes sooner. Using smart design to make the best possible use of space, the homes incorporate maximum light and height and sophisticated design and storage solutions to give a sense of space, along with low energy services for modern living. With sustainability at the heart of Gap Home, the factory conditions used for the homes’ construction minimises on-site waste by up to 75% and uses materials that mean the final building has minimal energy requirements for heating, low energy lighting and renewable energy provision through solar panels on the roof, making them low carbon and low in running costs. In addition, due to the standardised elements and factory production, the homes can be produced at volume, keeping prices down whilst helping to meet high demand. A palette of materials and designs will be available allowing people to customise their own homes, including internal finishes, kitchens and bathrooms. The size of garage plots and other small urban spaces means the homes will have a compact footprint. Whilst meeting national space standards they will be an affordable option for first time buyers and those looking to downsize in later life.
