Project outline

The Construction & Property team were Principal Contractor on this new-build residential development comprising 13 houses, 55 flats, a large medical centre and underground carpark. Six houses and eight flats were built to social housing standards.

Laycock Street is located on a quiet road between Upper Street and Liverpool Road, within 5mins walk of Highbury and Islington train and underground station. The road frontage to the site has a new medical centre in the basement and ground floor, as well as 22 duplex flats between the first and sixth floors. To the side of the building is the entrance to the remaining 46 properties and the underground carpark. These 46 units are now known as 1-46 Peacock Place, London, N1 1YG.

Scope of works

Foundations

All of the buildings are on piled foundations with a raft slab. The underground carpark and basement to the medical centre was four metres deep and constructed using a combination of secant wall piling, steel sheet piling and zero piling. 25 flats above are part of the underground carpark.

The foundations to the remaining 13 houses and eight flats are at ground level and involved underpinning adjoining party walls.

External façade

The external façade on all units has a rainscreen cladding, which provides a modern look with no distinction between the social housing and the private units. The rainscreen cladding comprises the following components:

• Lightweight steel walling consisting a 100mm wide steel stud with a 10mm thick cement particle board. Rockwood acoustic slab within the stud wall zone.
• M11000 thermally broken aluminium external windows and door system.

Various finishes included:

• Copper cladding panels pre-patinated wall plank running vertically with 60mm Kingspan insulation and vapour barrier
• Weber SBD insulated render system fixed to lightweight system above on frametek stand off carrier-rail, mesh cloth reinforcement bedded on adhesive basecoat render and finally Topcoat render
• Timber weatherboard cladding in western red cedar including 60mm Kingspan insulation and vapour barrier
• Zinc rectangular cladding panels fixed to lightweight structure including insulation and vapour barrier
• Polyester Powercoated vertical flashings
• Inset balconies and cantilever balconies with glazed balustrading

Internal fitout

The social housing properties complied with the client’s specifications. The private units were finished to a high standard, typically high gloss kitchen furniture, pianoforte worktops by Quarella and fully built-in kitchen appliances. Sanitaryware was from the Porcelanosa range for ensuite and family bathrooms. Wood floors were laid in all areas excluding tiled areas and the internal doors were oak veneered. Electrical services included small power, lighting, entry phones, emergency lighting and television outlets.

Medical centre

The medical centre, now known as 'Islington Central Medical Centre', is a re-location of an existing GP practice in nearby St. Paul’s Road, however significantly larger. The new building has a GFA of 10,000 sq/ft and has facilities for 12 doctors, practice nurses, baby clinic and minor operations. The fitout comprised underfloor heating, air conditioning and comfort cooling. It had generally plastered walls and ceilings with some areas of exposed concrete. It has steel feature staircases with large area of double height ceiling providing natural light and ventilation to the basement floor.  A single storey lift links both floors and all finishes were designed with infection control approval. The building meets all current regulations in terms of fire alarms, disabled persons and staff assistance alarm, disabled refuge, access control and CCTV.

Murphy Electrical Services were responsible for the complete electrical installation works required including:

• Main power supply and metering
• LV mains distribution
• Cable management systems
• Cable containment systems
• External lighting
• Solar modules and conversion units
• Gate / door entry systems
• CCTV and security systems
• Waste management systems
• Phone systems
• Satellite and cable TV systems
• Fire alarm systems
• Power supplies to lifts
• Power and control for heating systems
• Electrical distribution within properties