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PROJECT REPORT: RESIDENTIAL RETROFIT & REFURBISHMENT
The architects had to carve out spacious modern flats from a distinctly ungenerous layout
preservation of not just of the concrete, but the bricks too.
A condition survey of the structural frame was crucial for the performance specification and repair strategy, which included removing areas of defective concrete and corroded reinforcement. Where exposed rebar was significantly corroded, bars were locally cut out and replaced with new welded rebar primed for repair mortar.
The building had largely stood the test
of time, and the only major demolition required was around the entrance areas, where the removal of flat units opened up space for new double-height lobbies. The bricks were largely undamaged and the original mortar only needed repointing where existing windows had been removed. Nevertheless, some 60 years of weathering, decay and mould-growth made it uncertain how well the bricks would clean up to match the original.
Historic England wanted the fire skin (the outer skin of the brick), left undamaged, which ruled out an abrasive, or chemical clean. Instead, a low-pressure ‘Jos’ clean, typically used in stone conservation work, removed any staining without chemicals.
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The existing concrete frame was also repaired and cleaned as part of the work. Combustible materials are banned for use in external facades of buildings higher than 18 metres, so apart from the outer skin, the wall build up, including the structural block work and plaster, was removed and replaced with a steel framing system, cavity insulation and new plaster. This made it possible to bring new windows back into the thermal line, with pressed aluminium reveals adding depth to the facade. Preserving as much as possible for the existing structure, in line with the listed status, raised challenges when trying to resolve issues with thermal performance and cold bridging, and put a focus on insulating every surface of every room. This lowered the already restrictive floor-to-floor height to just 2.215 metre, versus at least 3.1 metres in a modern building. Extensive thermal imaging work carried out on Phase One and modelled by Greengage, found that the balcony cheeks (side walls) were acting as a major cold bridge, so between 60 mm and 100 mm of Rockwool was applied to the reveals to help insulate concrete beams going back into the structure. Balcony floors and door
ADF SEPTEMBER 2024
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