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much of a headache as the construction didn’t involve digging down too deep, with all parking at ground level. “T e cost of basement parking on a site without high values just doesn’t work,” he explains. T e site also had an impact on the materials used in the construction, and a


subtle approach was called for. “It’s one of those sites where we couldn’t have got away with anything too fl amboyant,” Samuels says. A few of the walls had to be temporarily altered to allow for construction to take place, under the condition that the replacement blocks would be identical to the originals, down to where they were sourced from. T e new build elements were constructed using a Metsec frame and a brick facade, with the brick chosen to contrast with yet complement the cladding on the original buildings. Although working with Historic England can involve a lot of back and forth,


Samuels says that on schemes such as Kingston Place “you can absolutely see the value and it looks really good. We have a high quality and attractive scheme that we can all be proud of.”


PUTTING RESIDENTS FIRST VIVID puts a focus on prioritising the safety as well as comfort of residents, and sustainability and security were both key. All VIVID schemes are now designed with PV panels as standard, although the Kingston Place scheme was designed before they brought this into practice. T e development includes gas boilers and each unit has an EPC B rating. By


2030 the company intends to upgrade all its existing stock to EPC C, and by 2050 it aims to have implemented its carbon zero plan. As well as pushing for a higher EPC rating, Samuels explains the company


tends to prioritise a fabric fi rst approach to increasing buildings’ performance. “If they perform well but wouldn’t get an A we’re happy that from an emissions perspective they’re high performing.” As well as including PVs, VIVID also now uses air source heat pumps as standard and insulates beyond the levels required by Building Control, as is the case at Kingston Place. Every apartment includes fi bre broadband and is well ventilated. “We think


about the quality of the build and design life,” says Samuels. “I think the most important thing is they are ‘tenure blind’ – you wouldn’t look at our schemes and say ‘that’s aff ordable,’ the quality is the same.” T e company also prioritises choosing a good design life when choosing individual products, and Samuels explains how focusing on little things can be


“Being an RP, we were able to show we weren’t just there to make a profi t” Tristan Samuels, VIVID


just as important in creating a happy environment for everyone. “Bin stores and things like that are where you can get problems if you get it wrong, that’s where you’ll get anti-social behaviour and issues with how the building is used,” he says. T e company also considers elements such as front door security, windows with safety latches for children, balustrade locations and widths, and even things like pigeon netting. “You’re thinking longer term about the wellbeing of the


families and communities – if you can get it right early on then people will own it, they’re proud of the space and that makes a big diff erence.” T e development was fi nished in October 2023, aſt er a brief delay towards


the end of the project due to site logistics and getting fi nal things such as Section 278 works tied up. Samuels says overall it was one of the more complicated projects the company has worked on, due not only to the logistical issues but also because this project was an anomaly for VIVID in that they took on the D&B contract, usually preferring to work with various partners to develop schemes. With residents having been in the apartments for almost a year, Samuels


admits there hasn’t been a huge amount of feedback from them: “when residents are happy, they don’t want to talk to us!” T ere have been a few minor snagging issues with things such as door locks but, he says, the way housing providers react to that is just as important. Drew Smith as a construction brand was shut down and there were some staff redundancies which has aff ected them closing out the defects in a timely manner.” Overall, Samuels believes VIVID’s “partnering approach” was key to getting


this complex project over the line. “We work closely with all the local authorities in our area and have strong relationships with most of them,” he says. “Local authorities and registered providers like us have similar values, the outcome we want is the same – good quality housing that’s aff ordable for local people. By working with Portsmouth to get this through we’ve got a brilliant product that they’re proud of as much as we are.”


Housing Management & Maintenance June/July 2025


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