Case Study: HUSK – Villa Street

Background

HUSK creates value by transforming derelict and difficult to develop garage sites into light, airy and energy efficient bungalows in just 14 weeks. HUSK design solution is protected by a patent truly making it an innovate solution to convert garage sites into homes.

Elvet Chartered Surveyors were appointed to act as HUSK’s quantity surveyor to deliver Villa Street, managing all of their cost control, including subcontractor appointments, material supplies, contract administration and estimating services.

Project Description

The development is in Villa Street, Spennymoor, which consisted of two garage blocks. Initially Livin had intended the site to be developed to provide four terrace properties; however, the proposal was not financially viable due to high pressure water main pipe that was in the centre of the site. To allow the scheme to proceed the main water main required diverting.

HUSK was engaged to assess whether their innovate solution could be used to unlock the development site, after extensive discussions with Northumbrian Water HUSK were able to reach an agreement convert the garages into three bungalows without the need of diverting the existing water main.

Elvet worked closely with HUSK, NWL and Livin to ensure that the scheme was financially viable for all parties.

Project Benefits

Without the HUSK proposal the garage site could not have been developed to provide affordable housing, and the likelihood would have been that the long-term future of the site would have led the site to be mothballed with the garages demolished.

The HUSK bungalows provide much needed affordable accommodation for the over 55s, with all of the homes occupied within one working day of practical completion.

Conclusion

Although Covid-19 had a huge impact on the works, every member of the project team worked together to ensure that the works continued due to the importance of this project. The overriding priority was to ensure the safety of our workforce and the local community. HUSK acted quickly to adopt new processes and PPE to ensure the upmost protection against Covid-19, which resulted in a slight delay of 3 weeks.

Effective financial control ensured that HUSK targets for the scheme was achieved whilst the contract sum not exceeded.