George Laurel & Partners prepared detailed drawings for Building Control, and also submitted specialised blueprints to CARTLEDGE, the company hired to build the timber framing for the three houses.
YDP hired a local firm - MAN Construction - to do the ground works, but their attitude and work quality was sufficiently impressive for YDP to invite them to tender for the entire construction. Subsequently, they carried out all parts of the build except for the erection of the timber framing, which was done by a specialist team from CARTLEDGE.
Ground works began in early-2016 and continued while specialists were hired to design and build two bridges over the stream - one on the south side of the site to provide access, and one to the west, beneath the area that would eventually become the garden for plot three.
With the works completed for sewage, water and electricity supplies, strip foundations were then laid in readiness for CARTLEDGE to begin the frame construction work in July 2016.
CARTLEDGE fabricates all components at their factory, delivers them to site and then constructs the framing very quickly, leaving interior and exterior finishing to other contractors. Once started, the construction moved very quickly. You can view timelapse video of the works on Plot 3 and Plot 1.
YDP had already decided to finish the interiors to a very high standard and bought a large consignment of beautiful walnut flooring from Havwoods UK. They then ordered bespoke kitchens from Ashley Ann, a specialist kitchen manufacturer in Scotland. The kitchens are fitted with Siemens appliances and the hi-tech, modern bathrooms are by CP Hart.
All principal rooms are fitted with what has now become a YDP signature - CAT5e data wiring, TV feeds and Sonos sound system.
All houses are fitted with specialised water systems that provide constant positive pressure, so shower pressure and temperature are wholly unaffected by water use in any other part of the dwellings.
The windows are all made by Velfac, and are of a design that that YDP sought specifically - aluminium framing on the outside but a wooden frame within, an effect which softens their appearance.
The double-glazed units are argon-filled and the glass is solar-reflective to minimise heat loss. Patio doors, also by Velfac, are glass and use a design that allows the central pillar to move away with the doors when they slide aside, creating wide, unimpeded access to the gardens.
The houses are fitted with high levels of insulation and under-floor heating, providing year-round warmth with low energy costs. To increase thermal efficiency the wall thickness was increased to 140mm and filled with rigid foam insulation. Services were run through a 25mm 'service void' added on to the internal side to prevent air gaps and damage to the insulation caused by cutting service channels and pipe-runs. As a result, the houses have a high air tightness' rating of 3, meaning that much less heat is required to keep them warm.
An eco-friendly ethos informs all parts of the design. The larch cladding on the exterior is a natural, untreated product with no chemicals used in its production. The render is self-coloured, meaning no painting is necessary. Similarly, the Velfac windows are pre-coloured aluminium, with no painting required. In short, the houses were designed to have small carbon footprints both during the build phase (a house fabricated to fine tolerances requires less energy to build it) and when they became homes (the houses have an energy efficiency rating (EPC) of B against the national average of D. Only 15% of UK homes have a B rating.).
The garages are fitted with sliding doors from industry leader Rundum Meir.
The result is three modern homes of outstanding appearance and build quality. Everyone who viewed them found them impressive and attractive. Except for a few remedial tasks on the 'snag list', the houses were finished in September 2017 and it was time to move into the 'sales' phase...