CLPM Project Manage Renovations of an Old Forge

THE PROJECT

CLPM Project Manage Renovations of an Old Forge. The project was the renovation and transformation of a 19th-century former forge building. It had been unloved for many years and was in a terrible state of repair at the bottom of our client’s garden. Our client dreamt up a plan for this building and enlisted the help of an architect with a passion to bring old buildings back to life. Frank Elliot was the Construction Consultant working on this project for CLPM. Frank lives locally to the project which made it easy to visit site.

 

THE CHALLENGE

The architect Kathy Basheva of Studio Basheva designed a concept that blended the old and new. It included many original industrial elements which seamlessly integrate with modern design and functionality.

There are always some design elements that work well on paper, but not so well in practice. This is where the expertise of a construction consultant comes in. Frank worked alongside Kathy to ensure the designs were fully functional.

Another challenge was the condition of the building. It was very run down. Sitting at the bottom of the garden, it had become overgrown with plants, rampant with rot and rising damp. All of which needed to be tackled. This required a specialist contractor to be able to manage structural issues and the complexities of an old building.

The final challenge was discovering the fabric in the real life construction site affected the design and delivery. In order to stay true to the original design, it meant plenty of changes and updates to the plans and programme. The client decided to add a further extension during the project which had a considerable impact on the budget and end date.

 

THE SOLUTION

When Frank joined the team, he conducted a Design Review and examined all of the plans with Kathy, Frank knows how important it is to get along with the architect. With mutual respect, they worked together to fine tune the plans into a programme.

With Frank appointed to the role of contract administrator he had to ensure the build was constructed to the standards and timings laid out in the contract.

After two main contractors had failed to meet the brief, Frank organised a tender to bring in a new build team. A new contractor was chosen by the client, one who Frank and CLPM had worked with before and had lots of confidence in.

The Old Forge was then brought up to a habitable standard. This meant it required hot and cold water, a working bathroom connected to the sewer and a temporary kitchen. This was a necessary step prior to applying for planning permission to extend.

Once planning was achieved, Frank was kept busy as the client then decided on a number of further changes. Namely constructing an additional garage to match the existing one. This had a stunning set of Iroco wood gates, and a granite set driveway. There were lots of difficult decisions to be made on the feature brickwork. Primarily as the plans featured a substantial temporary works design to open up a wide arch with a chimney sitting on the top.

At each step, Frank was able to maintain regular site visits. He would ensure the work was executed correctly or changed to meet the client’s high standards. He regularly provided full coherent communication with all the build team involved to ensure efficiency on site.

Further planning changes, variations to the budget and timeframe were challenging, but all overcome swiftly.

 

THE RESULT

The renovations of the Old Forge are beautiful. A three year project, which was impacted by Covid, is finally complete. 

The original industrial furnaces were converted into smaller residential fireplaces. These were set a meter from the floor to replicate the original forge and the original roof trusses were rebuilt to accommodate the original roof angle and volume. The house now features 2 bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms. A living room, a kitchen, a cloakroom, and mezzanine study leisure area. Windows were replaced to suit the original building, and the rear garden was dug for outdoor space and includes a water feature. The Old Forge is a truly one-of-a-kind property that blends old and new for a beautiful and functional family home.

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CLPM Services used by our client:-

Design review. Contract Administration. Hourly Rate Additional Services

Kathy Basheva has a flair for renovating old and tired buildings. Her work on the Old Forge has even been featured in a book.

With such a complex project and with so many updates and changes along the way, it was imperative for an experienced independent construction consultancy to manage the Contract Administration.

We were delighted to have been involved in this fabulous project.

Images by TonyH Photo