Metcalfe Briggs Surveyors assisted a London Council by carrying out surveys of a number of council owned and maintained park buildings in several locations throughout the Borough.  The buildings included chapels, pavilions, storage units and toilet blocks constructed throughout the Victorian era, 1950s and modern day, in varying styles and state of repair.

As part of a London Council’s programme of bringing their park buildings into good repair and maintaining their commercial viability, two sports and recreational pavilions built in the late 1950s were identified as requiring upgrading and modernisation. 

A London Council had identified one of its disused and run down park pavilions as an ideal property for refurbishment and conversion for use by a boxing club. The existing building consisted of a single storey structure with a flat roof above and roof level water tank.

A fire originating in the bedroom of this first floor flat in the heart of the docklands spread throughout the property causing damage to the roof structure, internal partitions and joinery with smoke damage contaminating the remaining area. Metcalfe Briggs Surveyors was instructed following its long-term housing association client’s agreement with the loss adjustor appointed on behalf of the insurers.

Metcalfe Briggs was subsequently delighted to continue working for a London Borough Housing Association by carrying out a Stock Condition Survey of the Housing Association’s entire stock.

Before commencement of construction of a 50 storey residential complex, the contractor required a Schedule of Condition of the surrounding area to provide protection against spurious claims.  We surveyed the adjacent building elevations and joinery, walls, fences, pavements, road surfaces, ironworks and street furniture to produce a record Schedule of Condition document for safekeeping.

We recently completed an internal and external schedule of condition so that the redevelopment of a 5 storey listed building in historic Westminster could begin.

Metcalfe Briggs Surveyors were appointed by an education provider who had vacated two floors in this West London office building. A near six figure claim was put forward by the landlord based mainly on suspended ceilings, scruffy condition of the carpets, internal decorations and the need to strip out tenant’s alterations.

This is a case where Metcalfe Briggs Surveyors advised the client, a major Further Education College, on entry to and exit from the building at the end of the lease. Before the start of the lease extensive fit out works were undertaken by the landlord for the prospective tenant.

Further education clients of Metcalfe Briggs Surveyors were having heavy equipment delivered to their premises when a 40 ton crane reversed into their theatre teaching building.

This scheme consisted of the purchase and repair of 5 x 1 bedroom flats, 2 x 2 bedroom four person units and 3 x 3 bedroom 5/6 person units for a Housing Association in Middlesex having received Local Authority funding. Additional finance was provided by the Housing Association to enhance the unit mix.
 

Local authority funding enabled this scheme of 5 x 3 bedroom five person houses to be purchased and repaired for general needs tenants recommended by the Local Authority.  

Metcalfe Briggs Surveyors assisted a Housing Association in the Borough of Harrow in the location of a small portfolio of street properties to be purchased and repaired for a specialised end user.   Local Authority funding was secured with the Housing Association contributing from their own funds to achieve the overall project requirements.

Metcalfe Briggs Surveyors’ client had commissioned an office refurbishment to a Central London investment property but were not satisfied that a fair and reasonable final account had been arrived at with the contractor.

Metcalfe Briggs Surveyors was asked to help clients to avoid a Local Authority Closing Order.   A central London Victorian terraced building, converted into flats many years ago, had fallen into serious disrepair externally and the original stone staircase internally had part collapsed.   The Local Authority served a Dangerous Structures Notice and subsequently initiated proceedings to obtain a Closing Order.   The landlord was also pursuing possession of the building under Section 146 of the Law of Property Act 1925.

This development of land adjoining 2 properties in Stratford, London E15 allowed a three storey building to be constructed to provide 6 self contained flats for people with mental health disabilities with ground floor office accommodation.

This £1.9M scheme was to deliver 20 one and two bedroom flats for a Shared Ownership as part of a larger residential/commercial development for East Thames Group. The seven storey block of flats was constructed using a bison concrete frame clad in coloured metal panels. To achieve Planning Conditions for car parking a Katopark car stacker was used.

An extensive, modern residential apartment block, the buildings had been finished with a proprietary ‘thin coat’ render system, coloured white. The Directors were concerned that after 10 years the buildings were not keeping their appearance and that many water leaks were reported.

This luxury apartment block is approximately 10 years old. It was designed with the objective of low maintenance. Building materials were used that supported this concept. However, it is a mistake to believe nothing needs to be done. Low maintenance does not mean no maintenance.

This prestigious property in Docklands is a modern apartment complex with in excess of 400 flats.  It has brickwork elevations, flat roofs and powder coated aluminium windows, doors and trims.  The internal common parts are extensive but are similarly unfussy.  As would be expected in such a building there is a substantial amount of M&E. It could be assumed that there is little to be done to maintain such a building.