Rebuild and refurbishment of a series of multi-flat dwellings

For 50 years Bingham Court had been used for re-housing purposes by the local authority. More recently the building owners decided that it was time to upgrade parts of the 5 storey construction as parts of the building became vacant due either to people moving on to alternative accommodation or vacancies due to the original tenancies expiring.

Henry Hardy Builders was commissioned to put forward a scheme for completely upgrading the flats including the provision of electric lifts, the project started in 1986, the final phase is due for completion at the end of this year.

Whilst the original structures of concrete brick and tiled roof are still in perfect original condition, it was the interior services and facilities that had to be updated. The plan was that all internal services should be suitable for a further 50 year life cycle, in order that periodic upgrading of bathrooms and kitchens and re-decorations will be the only building works necessary for the foreseeable future.

With the development of modern techniques much of the development is upgraded to a standard whereby it will require no external maintenance for up to 30 years.

With the final part of the development being Chadston House phases 7 and 8, part of each block was only raised to 3 storeys. We've been able to add two extra floors with four additional flats, matching in exact detail the original construction and vast roof. The construction of this roof has required carpenters with sufficient skill and knowledge to be able to take a lorry load of timber, and form it into a roof that any pre-war carpenter would be proud of.

With the development of this nature involving some 150 flats, serious consideration had to be given to services. We had designed and installed two major plants to provide a constant supply of pressurised cold water so that those, even on the upper floors may have an adequate supply of water 24 hours a day.

The original electrical installation installed by Islington Council in 1936 was adopted by the National Grid in the post war years, but it was necessary for us to upgrade the complete underground network of 3-phase supply. Much of the site cables and switchgear for this purpose were designed and installed by skilled Henry Hardy operatives.  Each property has been given its own individual gas supply with an external meter farm, all services can therefore be read external to the buildings. In furtherance of the green economy, rainwater harvesting by way of an underground storage tank, together with suitable pumps, will ensure that retained rainwater will be used for site irrigation purposes.

There has also been much external upgrading, and in particular, new steps being constructed and a bicycle shelter installed. Landscaping has been another major consideration, many of the trees, shrubs, and bordered areas planted by us at the commencement of the development are now quite mature and the development will retain its gated community.