Alma House, Crimea Road, Aldershot
| Project name: | Alma House, Crimea Road, Aldershot |
| Client: | Sentinal Housing Association |
| Business(s): | Homes |
| Sector(s): | Affordable Housing - New Build |
| Location: | Hampshire |
| Type of contract: | MMC / New build |
| Contract value: | £7.9m |
| Duration: | June 2008 - November 2009 |
| Contact email: | homes@osborne.co.uk |
This six-storey development in the centre of Aldershot comprises thirty-three one bedroom and forty two bedroom flats, thirty-nine of which are for rental and thirty-four shared ownership.
The scheme uses traditional materials and includes a basement car park constructed with a reinforced concrete frame, externally clad in facing brick with a glass atrium for residential use.
Set to achieve EcoHomes ‘Very Good’, the construction includes high insulation, sustainable procurement of materials, low water usage, a home office and integral cycle storage facilities.
Among the challanges facing the project is that the building fills the site with roads on three sides and car park on the fourth. Also the site is located in the middle of a dense built up residential area with restricted site access. With the high water table level there were complex design issues.
There were complex client negotiations with the vender over contamination and land purchase. Osborne assisted with technical and financial advice to help resolve these issues.
Being able to be involved with the pre planning process enabled our technical team to have essential input into the early development of the cost plan as well as suggesting the porous surfacing to the basement car park which removed the need for a drainage system.