Building A Dream Penthouse

Jan. 22, 2010 - PRLog -- cfes Specialist Project division has successfully completed their second off-site residential roof top extension in Soho, London. cfes developed the existing roof of Townsend House, a tenanted, mixed-use block into a luxury penthouse apartment though the use of modern methods of construction (MMC).  The two bedroom penthouse apartment benefits from a large open plan kitchen, dining and living area with glazing to all three sides providing amazing view over London.

cfes acted as the Main Contractor and Project Manager for the scheme providing a turnkey package which gave the client a single point of contact. The cfes team managed all elements of the project including a feasibility study, initial surveys (structural, building services), planning preparation and application, architectural and steel work design. Additionally, cfes organised and coordinated the closure of Dean Street in Soho, so the modules could be lifted into position.

Using the off site construction approach offered many benefits to both the client, landlord and the tenants of Townsend House, including no scaffold to any area of the building, reduced volumes of site labour, less site deliveries and improved H&S.

cfes broke the delivery of the project down into three key areas -  on-site enabling works, off-site construction (of the penthouse) and on-site finishes. The first stage was to strip out the existing building services and internal construction, relocating the communal water tank (which supplied all floors of Townsend House), installing enabling works steel and steel spreader beams into the concrete structure above key structural load points to support the new modules.

Off-site works was carried out in parallel with the on-site, reducing the overall project programme. The penthouse was made up of two bespoke 12m x 3.4m hot rolled steel modules designed by cfes and erected in cfes’ factory in South East London. The modules were complete with roof, glazing system and some first fix services before being transported to site.Upon arrival a 100 tonne crane lifted the modules onto the rooftop in a single day.

The new modules will become the open plan kitchen, dining and living space whilst the reconfigured existing sixth floor will be home to a master suite including a bedroom, walk through wardrobe and en-suite bathroom. The fifth floor provides an entrance, stairs, guest bedroom and bathroom.

Using this method dramatically reduced the amount of time and noise on-site and in the case of Townsend House this was vital as busy working offices already occupied the floors below. Once the modules were in position and secured, the building was made weather tight within hours, by sealing the single ply roofing and installing glazing into pre-installed frames.
The client has benefited from not having any capital outlay on the development site as it was already within his portfolio; capital value was added to the building (in excess of the build cost) plus an additional revenue stream could be generated if rental was considered.
Troy Wear, the client who owns the fifth and sixth floor commented on his new penthouse, “This is a dream I have had for nine years and I’m so pleased with the construction, I haven’t had to compromise on anything, this is exactly what I required. I really wanted more space but I didn’t want to move, this is the perfect solution and working with cfes has been a joy. cfes have worked with me at every stage to ensure my penthouse met my dreams. The views are spectacular and I can’t wait to move in, I think this form of construction is fantastic and I would recommend similar construction methods to anyone thinking of a rooftop conversion.”

cfes Specialist Project is a division of cfes Ltd, a fast growing national multi discipline M&E and construction contractor. Rob Doubtfire, Contracts Directors of cfes Ltd concludes, “With the pressure on land so intense, it makes sense to utilise existing space by creating an additional floor through developing existing flat roofs. By working closely with the client we have provided him with a stunning new apartment and a financially sound investment”.

For more information about rooftop developments please call 01420 22622 or visit www.cfes.co.uk

ENDS

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cfes Ltd is a fast growing national multi discipline M&E and construction contractor. The company operates within four distinct divisions:

*cfes Air Conditioning
*cfes Service & Maintenance
*cfes Medical Construction
*cfes Specialist Projects