Building Surveying

Case studies

Cromwell Road, London SW5

Refurbishment and internal remodelling to form a 54 bedroom hostel, with ancillary accommodation and offices, as well as IT, resource, games, living and service areas.

Client St Mungo Community Housing Association Ltd
Contractor Pierse Contracting Ltd
Contract Sum £2.3m

The project

This residential hostel development on one of London’s main thoroughfares involved the refurbishment and internal remodelling of large adjoining 6-storey terraced town houses dating back to around 1850. It comprises single occupancy bedrooms with offices and shared communal accommodation.

Our role

Churchill Hui was retained as building surveyors. Our main focus was to assist with the development of the supported housing brief through to the eventual performance of the completed works, ensuring compliance with local authority requirements within what is an important conservation area.

Our considerable technical experience and understanding of the design issues related to hostel accommodation was a key factor. It proved a valuable asset in developing the brief, both for our client and for a hostel management team who were less familiar with the technical issues.

As is usually the case with period properties, this called for careful consideration and attention to detail in retaining the original features and aesthetic. In this case, it involved correcting previous repairs and conversion works that were clearly unsympathetic to this.

Environmental issues and reducing the carbon footprint of the building were also crucial parts of our brief. On completion, the fabric of the buildings had been upgraded to comply with and in some areas exceed current standards. This included the design and installation of mechanical and electrical installations to reduce energy consumption, with PIR controlled lighting to all internal areas where practical.

The result

Following handover and official opening, the hostel has been well received by all parties, including the DCLG, the client and residents. The local authority has added its own favourable assessment. As a result of this success, Churchill Hui has been appointed to design a new build hostel. This £8.0m project is under construction.

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