BUILDING CONVERSION

Despite 189,650 dwellings being added to the housing stock in England between April 2015 and March 2016, up 11% on the year before, according to (DCLG) figures. The total number of traditional new-build properties remains far short of the 200,000 units a year the government has pledged to meet its “million homes by 2020” target. The number of new builds fell sharply during the financial crisis, while the annual “new net additions” to the housing stock is still running at 15% below the 2007-08 peak.

As a result, the Government has promised to turbo-charge housebuilding so more people can have the security of their own home. They have committed to reverse the shrinking opportunity for young people on ordinary incomes to own a home. Yet, the high cost of traditional house building, tougher lending restrictions and a relative fall in the income of first-time buyers is squeezing the opportunity of home ownership for 25-to-34 year-olds.

This has prompted a boom in OFFICE-TO-HOME conversions driving a rise in housing stock, with a leap of more than 10% in new dwellings, aided by a large increase in the number of commercial properties, offices and shops being converted into residential flats which is behind a surge in England’s housing stock, official figures show.

The most marked increase was in “change of use”, with 30,600 new units compared with 20,650 the year before. Of these, 12,824 were offices converted into flats.

Commercial/Office re-constitution in central London has hit an eight-year high, with landmark office towers in the centre of London, such as the controversial “Centre Point” building, being the highest-profile block to switch to residential status. And many drab 1960s offices in suburban locations have also been targeted and revamped into new studios and apartments.

There have been more conversions of office space in Croydon, south London, than in any other part of the UK, with many of its concrete office blocks no longer fit for modern commercial use.

This boom is partly down to new “permitted development rights,” which allow developers to proceed without long complicated planning consent and risks of rejection. With lower initial acquisition and development cost, this offers exciting new opportunities for savvy entrepreneurs. Thus, resulting in excellent return on investment for developers and better value for end buyers.

This area is perhaps one of our deepest level of expertise, our “New lamps for old” philosophy, turning “Lead into Gold” as-it-were, is our driving force. Over the last few years we have achieved remarkedly results and almost all of our projects would not be recognisable from their former use as dull commercial units.

Please visit our portfolio gallery, for examples of our past achievements and ongoing projects, we are sure you will be most pleasantly surprised.

DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION CONSIDERATIONS FOR DEEP EXCAVATION.

INTRODUCTION

Deep basements have been more and more extensively used, especially in the last 5 years as a way to effectively increasing habitable footprint and utilising underground space for residential and office usage especially in expensive urban areas. With space at a premuim especially in the inner cities, demolishing an old building and excavating down an extra floor or two on the site is now considered standard practice. 

Well planned and executed deep excavation for basements can provide high quality living and office spaces, and lately there are an increasing number of successful innovative projects that complete Basement construction‎ have added significant value and usability to existing buildings. This is now seen as a very cost-effective way of increasing floor space and is becoming more attractive to savvy investors and developers!

Additionally converting an existing cellar beneath a dwelling from a storage area into a habitable space does not require planning permission. Reducing the floor level of a cellar to improve the ceiling height is, however, treated as an extension and so may require planning permission. Basement excavations and conversions carry many regulations and permissions with them. They are each unique and very much depends upon the condition and structural ability of your existing property.

Moreover, great care and expertise is required in preventing ground slip and failures of the retaining walls and/or support systems which could catastrophically affect the integrity of adjacent structures. The design and construction considerations for deep excavation must be meticulously planned and executed to minimise. The commonly occurred mistakes

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

The major design considerations for deep excavation is divided into five sections as follows: (a) Planning of subsurface structure. (b) Evaluation of foundation of adjacent properties and their tolerances. (c) Selection of type of retaining wall. (d) Selection of type of support systems. (e) Design of retaining walls.

It is imperative that preliminary analyses be carried out by experts for many options of the walls and support systems to assess on the cost and time of construction together with the technical requirements on the safety and its influence on the adjacent structures before the selection on the final option to produce safe and economical design.

This is one of our key specialities and services, Crowngage pride themselves of their many years of experience and expertise in this field. We can turn a dank storage area into a bright and modern habitable space producing an excellent finished product that will be economical, safe, durable and that anyone would be happy to live or work in. 

A GROWING COMPANY IN RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS

We provide a full range of construction services starting from large scale new builds in both the Commercial and Residential sectors, right through to property repairs, maintenance, extensions and refurbishment. When we say "no job too big or too small" we really mean it.   

However, we don’t just build a diverse selection of fashionable apartments and new developments, we go far beyond this. For us, the most important aspect are our customers and the people who choose our services to build their future. Their satisfaction, and confidence in us throughout the whole process, is a key component of our success.

We're enormously proud of what we do, we've been listening to our customers and learning from them from the outset, insisting always on the best workmanship and the highest quality materials right through to the finished article. Our wide range of service are specifically structured with our customers' needs in mind.

As a leading London property developer, we are one of the most experienced in this field. Crownage, understands that when you’re searching for a construction company, you want to enjoy the peace of mind and confidence that our reputation ensures. We take pride in what we do, exceeding expectation at every opportunity and on every level.

So, whether this is your first new build or you are a seasoned professional developer, you can be assured of a smooth and efficient process from start to finish. We're here to help and support you from the very beginning of your project right up until we hand over the Keys to your new construction.

We’re pride ourselves on the feedback from our clients which consistently show our high levels of commitment and focus on customer satisfaction. 

That’s the real barometer of our quality, our service and the trust that people place in us.

ADDING EXTRA FLOORS

Across the UK there is a rapid increase in the need for more urban living space and an ever-greater requirement to add value to Buildings and Homes. As the UK’s population expands we are developing more sustainable approaches to development, using innovative systems to shape and support growth. Practical benefits of extra floors and their implementations helps support the delivery of the new London Plan policy, making our roofs into places for life.

Adding extra floors and transforming them into habitable accommodation is one of the most cost-effective ways to extend, improve and add value to a development. The recognition and support for the installation of roof expansion, from both ecological viewpoint and the general need for more homes in our urban centres has been increasingly acknowledged by Government and local Councils who are becoming more flexible in granting planning consents and are keen to allow the potential for residential Housing development to be implemented on top of existing Commercial buildings.

We can only adapt to the increasing population by delivering alternative housing solutions for our inner-city populations with high quality developments, excellent architecture and urban design.

Large scale roof expansions by adding extra levels can only be accomplished by experts with a deep level of understanding and expertise. After many years we have built up a great wealth of knowledge and sensitivity of what is required for such endeavours and to turn the concept of a potential design into the delivery of a successful project.

Having been at the forefront of roof expansion developments in the UK for over 11 years, we believe that our experience of a wide variety of projects of varying different sizes, and specifications from architectural details to finished product, make a useful and considered contribution to any development and ultimately extend the potential for the long-term benefit of our clients.