L&Q Flagship Project - Lewisham

Following a stock transfer of 3,500 homes from Lewisham Homes to L&Q, the housing association’s stock investment team has worked with British Gas to secure installation of Weber’s EWI system to eight 1960s blocks of flats. There is a potential to gain a further 15 blocks, equivalent to another 357 homes and an estimated total of 31,500m² of EWI.

“L&Q successfully took stock transfer of 3,500 homes in October 2010 following a large scale consultation and residents’ ballot,” says Paul Boughen, resident liaison officer, L&Q.  “Over 120 properties on the Springfield Rise estate, which includes Springfield Rise, Rosamond Street and Dallas Road, are now nearing completion and we are receiving some very positive feedback from our tenants and leaseholders. At a time when fuel costs are rising L&Q see this as a great way to help their residents to heat their homes and improve their living standards.”  L&Q owns and manages more than 70,000 homes across London and the South East making it the largest landlord in the capital and a major residential property developer.

The five-year Lewisham stock transfer project is on track for completion by 2015.  To date over £40m has been invested in the transferred properties with the installation of new bathrooms, kitchens and boilers in every property. The EWI works are part-funded by L&Q and Centrica PLC, the multinational utility company operating as British Gas.

Consultants Faithorn Farrell Timms (FFT), specialists in large volume improvements and major refurbishment projects, specified Weber EWI.  ECL Contracts, part of British Gas and specialists in facade systems, is the applicator of the EWI systems throughout this extensive project.  Essex-based Mulalley was appointed main contractor for the initial Springfield Rise contract, which has been delivered at an estimated £1.3m, and they have also gained another phase at neighbouring Windley Close in Forest Hill. Contractor RR Richardson Limited, headquartered in Farnborough, has been awarded the Dartmouth Road Estate in the next phase of the EWI programme.  This includes 61 flats in Kingswear House, Salcombe House and Torcross Drive. The properties were built in the 1950/60s, are mostly of un-insulated single skin, solid brickwork and, in some cases, concrete panels.

webertherm XM EWI, a lightweight system incorporating thin-coat polymer render and mesh cloth reinforcement, has been specified and applied to the larger portions of the buildings while other areas have been refurbished and painted either white or a specific colour.  The application of webertherm XM has significantly rejuvenated the appearance of the properties and dramatically improved the thermal performance of these homes.  Calculations prepared by Weber identified that a target U-value of 0.3W/m²K, from the original estimated U-value of 2.13W/m²K, could be achieved using 90mm thick grey expanded polystyrene (EPS).  A decorative finish of webersil TF150, a synthetic, even textured finish coat, has achieved a durable and weather resistant, vapour permeable surface.

Open entrance lobbies have been replaced with new enclosed lobby structures for improved security and heat retention, and stairwells, entrances and the ceilings that form the floor structure of the flats above have all been insulated.

Colour has played an important part in the project and the concept at Springfield Rise estate was inspired by an autumn colour palette for use on the vertical and horizontal elements.  I-beams and soffits have also been painted in a range of colours from Welsh Slate to Crème de Menthe, Rosemary & Thyme, Antique Sage and Winter White.  The larger proportions of the buildings use a simple colour combination of grey and white so that attention is paid to the colourful, more elegant elements of the building.  Dark grey has been used at the base to create a plinth.

“We’re really happy to see these flagship projects being delivered on site and we hope to be able to deliver more EWI works in the future,” comments stock investment manager, Roddy Kaundun, L&Q.  “Our residents are benefitting from the improved aesthetics of their neighbourhood but most importantly the significant improvement in comfort, reduced heating costs and carbon footprint.

“In the stock transfer one of our main messages to residents was that comfort and living standards would be improved and with EWI capable of making such a dramatic difference it is helping us to deliver our promises.”