44 PROJECT REPORT: SOCIAL HOUSING
The design of the new build was heavily influenced by the historic prison building, both in terms of overall aesthetic but also regarding heights and the overall site layout. We had to figure out where we could put height and how you could move around the buildings as there were views through the existing gate and entrances that they were looking to protect,” Samuels explains.
There was some general remediation work with ground contamination being a regular obstacle in this area, says Samuels. However, this didn’t cause too much of a headache as the construction didn’t involve digging down too deep, with all parking at ground level. “The cost of basement parking on a site without high values just doesn’t work,” he explains.
“VIVID NOW USES AIR SOURCE HEAT PUMPS AS STANDARD”
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The 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 flamboyant, 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. The 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. The 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 first 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.
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