What they see is the unlikeliest of architectural marriages: a new building that completes and complements a Georgian terrace, yet also refers to 1970s-built homes in the street. For example, in this new local landmark white calcium silicate brick creates a contemporary, no-maintenance version of the Georgian rusticated base, but it is surrounded by a contrasting dark brown/black engineering brick that is close in colouring to the 1970s homes. "This is the mediator between the Georgian and the 1970s," says Sergison Bates partner Stephen Bates. "We're acknowledging everything in the contemporary city."
Internally the building contains another surprise as what looks like a terraced house from the outside in fact is a three-bed maisonette on below ground and ground floor levels and two two-bed apartments on first and second floor above. The maisonette has been designed specifically to house a co-operative family with a daughter suffering from cerebral palsy. The two apartments above were initially earmarked for rent by the HA, but are now being placed on open market sale, at an asking price of around £250 000 each, and the proceeds will be reinvested.
The HA has other gains to reinvest, in lessons from a project that has trialled innovation in design and build and also in working practice, through partnering. Architects and contractors were invited to bid jointly for the project, Sergison Bates teaming up with contractor Rooff. The two then worked in a formal partnering arrangement with the HA, the maisonette tenants and consultants. Other consultants working on the project included Chandler KBS as employer's agent and structural engineer Price & Myers.
The architect has adopted the same basic build technology it applied on the William Sutton Trust houses: a prefabricated timber panel 'breathing' structure with Masonite beams, softwood joists and studs, cellulose insulation and fibre based sheathing. Walls achieve a U value of 0.21, and the roof 0.25.
The cladding is conventional brick, its surface dotted with a network of open perpends at 900 mm horizontal and 750 mm vertical centres, to increase ventilation to the cavity. The architect has misaligned the brick and timber skins slightly to emphasise their independence, providing service runs in the resulting gap.
Windows contribute significantly to the overall external aesthetic with their 1970s style and combination of clear float and toughened glass, which gives a blue and green colouring. Toughened glass has been used as windows are deep - cills are set at a height of 550 mm - and the lower sections of the windows are unguarded. This allows maximum light and views in homes that are designed for high internal quality. "We wanted to work on the limits of social housing, improving on the basics with bigger windows, better light, higher ceilings, energy efficiency," says Bates. Homes have 2.6 m floor to ceiling heights and, even within the relatively small spaces of a two-bed apartment, their space and how it works are carefully considered. For example, double doors separating lounge from kitchen align with large casement balcony windows in the kitchen, giving a vista, a sense of space and an indoor garden.
The architect has also come up with a new twist on conventional architraving and dado: the architrave widens on one side of the door to incorporate light switches while the modern day dado is a MDF dado-height wall lining that protects the wall and can function as a headboard in the bedrooms.
The internal specification includes passive stack ventilation and underfloor heating, and stylish sanitaryware and white goods, some elements of the specification having been upgraded to match the expectations of London buyers.
Not all of the innovations in the specification were initially welcomed by the housing association. "We wanted something quite different, but like many housing associations we are also risk-averse," says Ann Gibson, its development project manager. "We have been guinea pigs in the past and been left with problems that are still impacting on our maintenance budgets. When underfloor heating was suggested we thought it was a safer solution than radiators for a child with cerebral palsy, but we were wary of problems. So we met the manufacturer."
Overall, the HA is satisfied with the trial. "Our tenant family is absolutely delighted - they have even chosen to spend their own money enhancing the specification in their home and we think it is great that tenants have decided to buy into the scheme in that way," says Gibson.
The HA's initial impression of partnering is favourable. "We have learned that as far as tenants are concerned it is vital to involve them early, especially where their needs are out of the ordinary," says Gibson. "It has been time consuming. There has been a big commitment by all of the partners, but we have developed a relationship where we know each other quite well and we have worked through difficulties. It has been very successful and we will work with the architect, contractor and employer's agent again."
Source
Building Homes
