INCA Case Study: Stonehill Road, Southend on Sea

Project Overview

The Stonehill Road project, commissioned by Morgan Sindall Property Solutions for Southend-on-Sea City Council, was delivered by BTS Fabrications with K Systems as the system designer.

The project included 104 semi-detached and terraced properties, each with non-traditional construction types including no-fines concrete, Unity, and Laing Easi-Form.

All properties remained fully occupied throughout the 38-week programme. As such, the project demanded careful planning and execution to navigate the complexity of different substrates and maintain resident comfort and satisfaction.

The large-scale nature of the project introduced logistical complexity, requiring robust coordination across material supply, resident communications, and build sequencing.

Construction Challenges

The Stonehill Road project presented multiple technical and operational challenges. Designing effective fire breaks was a key priority, requiring vertical fire barriers at every party wall and adaptations at roof-line closures. These closures required extended verges and approvals from the Solid Wall Insulation Guarantee Agency (SWIGA) to maintain compliance, while complex roof abutments and unique bat-window reveals added further layers of detail.

Working within fully occupied homes also meant the team had to be especially mindful of disruption, with particular attention paid to managing resident expectations around noise, access, and visual finishes.

Residents selected from three bespoke Silicone TC15 thincoat render colours, which required careful logistics, stock control, and sequencing to deliver efficiently.

The need to supply three distinct colour options as per the thincoat finish specification introduced a layer of complexity in materials management. Deliveries had to be tightly controlled and scheduled based on each resident’s choice, without compromising the construction programme.

With over 100 properties involved and multiple property archetypes in play, the project required precise demand planning and weekly collaboration calls between K Systems and BTS to manage procurement, delivery, and on-site usage.

Budget constraints added another dimension. The original specification, based on a 110 mm mineral fibre solution, was deemed unaffordable with K Systems helping to re-engineer the system to deliver cost savings without compromising thermal performance or regulatory standards.

Weather conditions and scaffold sequencing added pressure to maintain programme milestones, calling for a high level of planning and real-time problem solving.

The diverse property types, particularly Unity and Laing Easi-Form constructions, required close collaboration with the K Systems technical team to develop bespoke detailing solutions that addressed junctions, interfaces, and non-standard features.

System Selection

The final solution specified a 90mm EPS systems (K Systems E) with Silicone TC15 thincoat render in three resident-selected colours. This replaced the original mineral wool design, achieving a 14% cost saving while still delivering a U-value of 0.29W/m²K.

EPS was selected due to its lower cost, ease of cutting, and lighter weight, which improved installation speed and reduced site labour requirements. It also resulted in less waste on site.

While EPS was the primary insulant, K Systems maintained fire integrity through the use of mineral wool at all critical areas, including party walls, abutments, and window openings.

The K Systems technical team worked closely with BTS and Morgan Sindall to model all non-standard junctions and obtain approvals from both SWIGA and Building Control. These included complex solutions at roof abutments and bat-window reveals, which were validated through scaled drawings and on-site mock-ups.

Delivery Excellence

Strong collaboration was the foundation of successful delivery. Weekly meetings between BTS and K Systems, involving technical, sales, and customer experience teams, ensured quick resolution of emerging issues and alignment across stakeholders.

A Site Application Specialist from K Systems made regular visits, conducting quality audits and installation coaching. This proactive involvement helped ensure that no defects were reported at handover.

Outcomes

The Stonehill Road project exceeded expectations across key performance indicators with the project achieving a U-value of 0.29W/m2K.

In addition to quantitative metrics, the project has delivered visible, lasting change for the community.

Testimonial

“This extensive refurbishment project was a technically challenging scheme, with a significant level of non-standard detailing.

“The commitment and collaboration shown by the entire K Systems team (from Technical and Sales to Customer Experience), ensured the project ran smoothly from start to finish.

“Weekly team meetings were held and the K Systems’ Site Application Specialist made regular site visits, helping to maintain consistently high standards of workmanship and system performance.

“Their proactive approach, clear communication, and expert technical guidance were invaluable in delivering a successful outcome.”

Mark Keen, Managing Director, BTS

Conclusion

Over 100 occupied, non-traditional homes on Stonehill Road have been thermally upgraded, made safer, and visually rejuvenated thanks to K Systems’ bespoke EWI design and hands-on project leadership.

By converting a mineral-wool specification to a value-engineered EPS solution, while still meeting stringent fire-safety detailing and resident aesthetic preferences, K Systems delivered an on-programme, on-budget scheme.

The scheme’s success was underpinned by careful material management, weekly cross-partner planning sessions, and tailored technical detailing for a diverse range of property types – proving the value of a coordinated and agile delivery model.