Reynolds Court, Newport

Lovell designed and built new sheltered accommodation comprising 41 one and two-bedroom apartments and communal accommodation. The site was in an established residential community, so extensive resident and community liaison was required throughout.

“We are delighted that the Reynolds Court project has been recognised in the awards. The state-of-the-art building is a flagship scheme for the council and the residents are thrilled with their new homes and the improved facilities. The award nomination is testament to the hard work and commitment of all those involved in the project”

Roz Millership, Assistant Director Housing Health and Communities, Uttlesford District Council

Project

Reynolds Court, Newport

Location

Uttlesford, Essex

Dates

Start – 3 May 2016

Phase 1 Completion – September 2017

Phase 2 Completion – October 2018

Partners

Uttlesford District Council

Value

£7 million

•  41 unit sheltered housing scheme

• Innovative sustainable elements such as a sedum roof

• The building has been designed to achieve optimum thermal efficiency, reduce pollution and conserve energy and water through the use of efficient fixtures and fittings, and accurate metering

• Finalist at LABC Building Excellence Awards 2019 – Best Affordable Housing

• Finalist at Inside Housing Development Awards 2019 – Best Older People's Housing Under 50 Homes

• Winner of a Considerate Constructors Scheme Silver Award 2019

The project was delivered on budget and three weeks ahead of schedule. The construction was focused on sustainability and quality. Our use of a dedicated supply chain incorporated many local companies, boosting the region’s economy. The site achieved a Performance Beyond Compliance rating from the Considerate Constructors Scheme for outstanding ratings on both inspections.

Sustainable approach

Reynolds Court was designed to achieve a Very Good rating under the BREEAM regulations.  This was achieved through:

• Active engagement with stakeholders throughout the design process.

• Inclusion of innovative sustainable elements such as a sedum roof.

• A testing and commissioning schedule to ensure building management and residents understood how to operate systems in their homes for maximum performance and cost savings.

• Designed to achieve optimum thermal efficiency, reduce pollution and conserve energy and water through the use of efficient fixtures and fittings, and accurate metering.

• Quality, safety and environmental performance of a consistently high standard.

Creative Solutions

The building was designed be constructed in two parts, allowing the residents to be moved into the completed Phase 1 building to enable the demolition and construction of Phase 2.

Innovative design saw the inclusion of a green roof, giving improved insulation and enhancing the sustainable performance of the building as a whole. Through the second stage of the tender process and later as the project progressed, the team devised a number of creative solutions:

• Use of HardiePlank® fibre cement cladding in place of timber cladding, meaning lower maintenance requirements whilst maintaining design integrity.

• Replacing concrete block internal walls with a metal stud option wherever possible – this reduced manual handling across a site with a tight footprint and limited access.

• Use of plastic pipework rather than copper, which allowed our team to start the first fix M&E works earlier and reduced the security risk to the site.

Awards

• Finalist: LABC Building Excellence Awards 2019 – Best Affordable Housing

• Finalist: Inside Housing Development Awards 2019 – Best Older People's Housing Under 50 Homes

• Winner: Considerate Constructors Scheme Silver Award 2019

“We are very proud to have been considered for a LABC Award and an Inside Housing Development Award for the work at Reynolds Court. The team have put lots of time and effort into making this project as sustainable as possible and it’s great to see their hard work pay off.”

Simon Medler, Regional Managing Director for Lovell