ed by GRAHAM Construction’s London and South East team, the £20m contemporary mixed-use development for Bellway Homes replaces a derelict former industrial property located next to Chiswick Park and overlooks the Gunnersbury Triangle nature reserve. The haven of woodland features ponds and meadows and is run by the London Wildlife Trust, providing a pleasant outlook from the apartments’ balconies.
The development comprises two buildings of six and nine storeys respectively, with 124 homes in a mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartments which have all been designed with a high level of detail to the build quality, finishes and fixtures. The contemporary designed building naturally blends into its surroundings, while the apartments provide stylish, light and airy accommodation aimed at attracting a diverse range of residents. Twenty-three of the apartments are shared-ownership but in appearance the development is ‘tenure-blind’. There is also 11,485ft² of ground floor retail space on site and residents have access to the Starbucks, Union Bar and Virgin Active, as well as other restaurants, shops and cafes at Chiswick Park.
The project was completed following a 107-week construction period, quicker than most schemes of this size, thanks to the construction team’s scrutiny of the initial plans and their suggestions of how to improve the efficiency of the construction process without comprising on the overall design.
Customer appeal
Rob Joyce, GRAHAM Construction’s London Office Director, comments: “The London residential market is hotter than ever and, given the increasing confidence in the economy, seems set to persist. However, the scope for new developments is severely restricted by the continued shortage of potential sites and a lack of both materials and manpower, which will only continue.
“While many building materials suppliers can increase production relatively quickly to meet demand, training workers takes time. So, if developers are to benefit from the unprecedented level of demand for housing, new thinking – and initiatives – in this area are needed soon. Meanwhile, innovative forms of tendering that capitalise on competing contractors’ scale, knowledge and experience of the industry can pay dividends.”
For Bellway, customer appeal was paramount to the development’s views and surroundings – in particular the nearby nature reserve – which were major selling points. For GRAHAM Construction, however, it was looking inward to the detail of the construction process itself that was the key to managing costs and the project’s overall success, while still maintaining the development’s design concept. For example, the specification of the buildings’ facades were changed in the early stages of construction: instead of glass-reinforced concrete cladding, an innovative architectural concrete cladding system was recommended to provide a better quality of finish while delivering 22% cost savings. In addition, the floor-to-floor heights were reduced slightly, allowing site levels to be raised. This meant less spoil had to be removed while keeping the overall building height within planning limits, and also enabled the complete omission of a retaining wall along a railway boundary without affecting residents.
Rob adds: “Being open to considering alternative materials can also help – we recommended a different cladding material at Chiswick which made a substantial cost saving while safeguarding quality and appearance. More modern methods of construction, such as increasing the use of pre-fabrication and producing large components such as bathrooms off site, can also help in terms of manpower, materials and quality assurance.”
A sustainable approach to the development’s construction and design was also important to its long-term success, with all of the homes designed to Level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes and follow the Lifetime Homes design code, ensuring that they are accessible and useable by families at different stages in their lives and appeal to a variety of residents.
The construction materials chosen by GRAHAM Construction, mainly reinforced concrete, have helped to reduce energy use across the development. The concrete frame, floors and cladding provide thermal mass which absorbs energy and releases it slowly, helping to reduce temperature fluctuations, and photovoltaic panels are also installed on the roofs. Continuous ribbon balconies overlooking the nature reserve provide solar shading and, especially in this location, a desirable amenity.
With no effect on build costs or the design, the solutions proposed by GRAHAM Construction have helped the development to be more sustainable, improve performance and guarantee functionality for years to come.
GRAHAM is a privately-owned company operating in the construction, asset management and project investment sectors. With a proud heritage where traditional skills and values are fused with professional management, the company has grown to have a turnover in excess of £490m and employs more than 1600 people.
GRAHAM Construction is a leading player in all areas of construction and civil engineering throughout the UK and Ireland and operates from a network of regional offices.
In October 2015, GRAHAM Construction was listed at number 26 in the prestigious Sunday Times Grant Thornton Top Track 250, which ranks Britain’s mid-market growth private companies with the biggest sales.
GRAHAM has also been awarded the Investors in People (IIP) Gold standard, recognising the company’s commitment to forward looking, cutting edge people policies and practices and placing GRAHAM in the top 1% of recognised IIP organisations across the UK.
