Project Details
- Client Name: Peabody Services Limited
- Project Value: £27.5m
- Sector: Residential
- Services: Employer’s Agent, CDM Coordinator
- Key partners: PCKO Architects, Galliford Try Partnership
- Contact: Neil Hope – 020 8294 1000
To celebrate its 150th anniversary, Peabody held a design competition for the redevelopment of the former Plaistow Hospital site.
Baily Garner assisted with this process and helped successfully deliver this award-winning project. The new development provides 168 new homes consisting of new build flats and houses, as well as the sensitive refurbishment of five Victorian hospital buildings.
A historical hospital
Plaistow Fever Hospital was considered to be one of the most modern of its kind in 1901 and pioneered the barrier method of nursing infectious cases.
The hospital was damaged by bombing during World War II and in 1948 the name of the hospital was changed to Plaistow Hospital in recognition of the fact that it treated acute medical cases as well as infectious cases.
The hospital began to specialise in elderly long-stay patients from 1983 until it closed in 2007.
From inception to completion
Baily Garner acted as employer’s agent from inception to completion on this complex award winning project on the former Plaistow Hospital site, providing co-ordination of the planning design team, cost planning advice, procurement of the contractor and management of the contractor once on site.
We were involved in managing risk associated with services, utilising an enabling demolition and site clearance contract in preparation for the main development.
Other challenges included retention of five existing historic buildings that contained a number of the market sale units, and liaison with specialist suppliers to manage the terracotta works, asbestos removal and UKPN (due to the housing of an existing sub-station on a first floor building on the site).
Red stock bricks and terracotta lintels were salvaged from the derelict hospital to maintain the historic and distinctive character.
Collaborative working
The scheme faced the challenges of post-recession market conditions (availability of bricks and labour, performance of UKPN and quality control), so we ensured the project team worked collaboratively to mitigate the challenges faced.
The development has a very high quality design intent which has been delivered in keeping with the original objectives, with a quality landscaping scheme to match. Cost control was of prime importance, particularly relating to the refurbishment elements and specification changes to reflect market conditions.
Our change management process ensured costs associated with changes were agreed prior to the issue of instruction, with initial assessments fed through to Peabody for business plan evaluation and board approvals.
An award-winning project
Upton Village has won a number of awards, including:
- Winner – Most Innovative Affordable Housing Scheme – Housing Innovation Awards 2017
- Winner – Best Development Affordable Homes Sector – Evening Standard New Homes Awards 2017
- Winner – Best Design – National Housing Awards 2017
- Winner – Best Affordable Housing Development (Urban) – Inside Housing Development Awards 2017
- Shortlisted – Housing Design Awards 2017
- Shortlisted – Best New Places to Live – London Planning Awards 2017
- Shortlisted – LABC Awards 2017
- Shortlisted – Best Shared Ownership Development – Inside Housing Development Awards 2017
