The Project
Located in West Norwood, the £2.1 million project at 445 Norwood Road involved the conversion of a Grade II listed former fire station as part of a residential development that also included a new build project.
The refurbished fire station has been transformed to create a children’s nursery on the ground floor with 12 residential units above, across five storeys. The new build project comprises 10 apartments in a four-storey block located in the yard of the former fire station. All apartments have been finished to a high standard and the fire station’s original features have been carefully maintained and included in the finished accommodation.
The Programme
The development’s confined site resulted in a logistically challenging project, with the plot confined on all sides, including a residential house to the right and commercial units to the left and rear. This meant that there was severely restricted storage on site and no access to the yard behind the fire station where the new build was constructed.
The Edgeley Construction team discharged all pre-construction requirements, including party wall agreements with the surrounding property owners and a detailed method statement, outlining how the site challenges would be overcome.
Access to the yard to construct the new build element of the project was via a restricted opening under the existing fire station building, so the project had to be meticulously sequenced. Adaptations to the programme were made in real time, aligned to day-to-day progress and delivery of materials.
The strip out process for the former fire station was also critical to the success of the project, ensuring that the conversion to nursery and residential accommodation stayed on track without compromising any of the heritage features. This was followed by internal alterations and installation of new building services and finishes.
The project was programmed to allow a sectional handover, with the refurbishment element completed prior to commencement of the new build.