Much-needed, affordable family eco homes built for Ealing Council have been completed on time and within budget thanks to the careful project management of Birmingham based Allen Construction Consultancy Limited.
Located on what was poor quality land on Wincanton Crescent in Northolt, the £700,000 scheme offers one detached and two semi-detached homes built as part of Ealing Council’s new build affordable housing pipeline.
These three-bedroom properties have been built to very high design specifications and eco standards using timber framed Structural Insulated Panel (SIP) construction. This saves time, is cost-effective and offers durability as well as superb levels of insulation and energy efficiency, significantly reducing energy bills for occupants.
The properties incorporate a range of eco features such as mechanical ventilation and heat recovery units, high performance glazing, and permeable paving made of recycled tyres and stone chips, reducing the level of excavation required for drainage. Additionally, attractive living green screens provide an ecological, low maintenance alternative to traditional fences and walls.
Project management and sustainability experts Allen Construction Consultancy were appointed by Ealing Council to oversee the whole process of surveying, designing, planning and building the scheme to ensure that the design and eco requirements were delivered efficiently and cost-effectively through clever use of Value Engineering. This reduced the cost of the off-site manufacture of the scheme by some 20%.
Paul Quinney, Director for Allen Construction Consultancy, said: “This scheme wasn’t without its challenges but we’ve worked closely with Ealing Council and others to ensure that the goals were fully met. We are especially proud to have been able to bring new creative methods of construction forward that made the whole building process more efficient, resulting in attractive eco homes that will minimise tenants’ fuel bills.”
The beauty is that these building methods are easily transferred and can be applied to other similar schemes, making it more feasible to increase the supply of good quality housing where it is badly needed.”
Councillor Jasbir Anand, Ealing Council’s cabinet member for housing, employment and skills, added: “We’re doing everything we can to increase the supply of affordable family homes in Ealing, so we’re very pleased with the completion of this scheme. The project team’s attention to detail has ensured successful delivery of new homes that we know are desperately needed.”
The scheme was funded by Ealing Council and supported by the Greater London Authority as part of a drive to build new homes in the borough. The contractor was Sandwood Construction Ltd.
