INCA Case Study: Artesian House, Bermondsey

EQUANS chose Hamilton (Building Contractors) Ltd as its sub-contractor partner for a challenging remediation project in early 2020 and together they have produced stunning results.   

The Hyde Group, with specialist consultancy partner Martin Arnold Ltd, appointed EQUANS as Principal Contractor on the Artesian House project; a major contract which included internal compliance work and the complete removal and replacement of all external cladding and insulation on the high-rise, mixed-use building in Bermondsey.

Hamilton (Building Contractors) Ltd worked under EQUANS to complete the extensive external remediation required.

Artesian House, owned by The Hyde Group, is made up of 73 mixed tenure flats above a busy ground floor NHS health centre, and presented a number of challenges for the experienced companies involved.

Hamilton Director Daniel Mackie explains:

“The knowledgeable team at Martin Arnold certainly had their work cut out analysing the existing material composition and then designing and specifying suitable alternatives to fit the aesthetics of the building and meet today’s stringent fire safety requirements.

The building featured numerous different wall types, with timber cladding on the upper floors, a combination of external wall insulation, and zinc cladding on two elevations.

We faced our own challenges with the design of the building itself: at eight storeys high and with a largely curved exterior, removing and replacing the cladding and insulation was no simple task, but thankfully one that our 25 years’ experience meant we were well placed to tackle.

The entire site team had to be particularly considerate and courteous in its approach, as residents remained in occupation for the duration of the project.

It was important that everyone worked quickly and conscientiously to minimise the amount of disruption overall. On behalf of The Hyde Group, EQUANS appointed a dedicated tenant liaison officer who kept residents informed and was on hand to answer any questions.

Among countless other responsibilities, EQUANS also ensured that staff and visitors to the NHS health centre had appropriate and safe access and egress throughout. This was no mean feat given that the centre was used as a COVID vaccine hub and the works were carried out through the COVID pandemic”

SWIGA-approved and with 25 years’ experience, Hamilton is known for its commitment to quality and attention to detail, so the company was a natural choice to partner with EQUANS and Martin Arnold Ltd on this multi-faceted project.

The existing cladding had been extensively tested and inspected, which Hamilton undertook for EQUANS & Hyde, with a combination of EPS insulation, phenolic insulation and timber, which ultimately needed to be stripped out and replaced with an entirely new system made up of all non-combustible and fully compliant materials as designed and specified by Martin Arnold.

Hamilton worked with an established network of trusted material suppliers to install the fully compliant replacement materials and meet the design specification. Manufacturer’s such as Rockpanel, who’s Woods FS Extra range was installed, Wetherby Building Systems’ HECK 4S Stone Wool Silicone External Wall Insulation System and Rhienzinc’s Standing Seam Zinc cladding, along with SFS Groups, Nvelope support system and RCM’s Y-Wall board. There was a high level of workmanship displayed across the project, right from design to completion. The attention to detail even went so far as specifying that Rockpanels should be cut and routed off site to create a plank effect in smaller-sized panels, which would follow the curves of the building more naturally.

EQUANS’s Senior Site Manager Lewis Morrell said:

“Working with Hamilton on this technically challenging and demanding project, has been a pleasure. From the off, they have engaged fully and professionally with us, the client and consultant and had valuable input into the entire project. Their desire to hand over only the highest quality workmanship is clear to see in the end product that has been completed.”

Lewis continues:

“It is clear that they value partnership working and take every care possible to ensure the programme and Health & Safety standards are met at all times. I look forward to working with them again in the future on new projects.”

Martin Arnold’s Associate Daniel Assender added:

“Acting as the clients Contract Administrator and Design Consultant places a huge amount of responsibility on our shoulders, so when working on projects like this with EQUANS and Hamilton’s, it is key to know that the teams involved in delivering our designs have the requisite experience and skills. Having worked with Hamilton and EQUANS on a number of projects previously, we were pleased when they were appointed by EQUANS at Artesian House, as this gave us the knowledge that our designs would be followed to the letter.

The workmanship, professional approach to on-site design issues and continued focus on ensuring the success of the project is again a credit to Hamilton and it is always good to be working on a project with a contractors input and experience such as Hamilton’s, as this invariably leads to excellent team working to present the best result to the client and residents.”