Richmond Housing Partnership
The Project
Richmond Housing Partnership (RHP) currently owns or manages in the region of 10,000 homes for people who cannot otherwise afford to live locally across west London. These include homes for social rent and shared ownership.
One of the properties they own is Furness Lodge, a four storey Victorian house in Old Sheen Village in Richmond. The original property was built as a substantial detached period house in the mid-1800s and has been extended over the years. The property is split into 17 one, two and three-bedroom flats. Throughout the building, there are numerous period features, which include extremely large timber-framed sliding box sash windows.
The original windows dated back to the mid-1800s, when the property was first built. Over the years, they’d aged and become worn and where in need of replacing because they were beyond economical repair. To add another dimension to the project, all of the work needed to be completed in line with the latest COVID Government guidance because it was carried out during the pandemic.
RHP used the Windows, Doorsets and Associated Projects Framework (WD1) to find a suitable contractor to carry out the work. The chosen contractor needed to be cost competitive and have experience of carrying out the same work at similar properties within the area. It was also important to RHP that they could demonstrate their abilities by providing them with a set of strong references.
"We have delivered various projects through LHC’s frameworks and have always had positive results. We use LHC to ensure we get good quality contractors at a competitive price, this doesn’t only benefit us but most importantly our customers." John Dwyer, Cyclical Project Manager for RHP
The Solution
Within two months, TRC Contracts Ltd were appointed to replace the windows, which was completed in March 2021.
TRC Contracts removed all 107 of the existing windows and replaced them with new, double glazed timber windows that meet the latest industry regulations and standards, including the security-related British Standard, PAS24. Before starting on-site, TRC had updated their health and safety policies and procedures in light of COVID. From a practical perspective, it involved implementing additional measures, such as always wearing PPE on-site and keeping at least two metres apart from each other and residents.
