2021 Master Builder Awards, Commercial or Public Sector Project
National winner: Property Building Maintenance (Wales) Ltd
Property Building Maintenance (Wales) Ltd's objective was to transform a set of disused former council office buildings into six new two-bedroom apartments in Port Talbot. Two of the new apartments were also required to be wheelchair accessible, with wet rooms.
Whilst the team inherited the original design from architects and engineers, they were required to make significant additions to the scope of works as the project progressed and unforeseen challenges emerged. With a view to saving the client money, the company decided to repurpose the original structure and complete substantial repairs rather than demolish the site to start again.
A raft of energy-efficiency upgrades were added to the property including double glazing throughout, external wall insulation, new water mains installation, replacing gas with electricity and fitting new heaters, high-efficiency hot water storage tanks and a utilities service room.
A sprinkler and fire alarm system were retrofitted to the building to enhance safety, with automatic ventilation added to the communal area. Finally, Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) colour labelling was used throughout the building to assist residents with partial sight or who were colour blind in navigating.
The judges were impressed by this builder's willingness to go the extra mile, undertaking improvements to the project of their own volition, and engaging with stakeholders such as the local school to ensure everybody was kept abreast of developments. They hailed the execution of the design as "above and beyond" and a "dramatic improvement in appearances and performance" and cited the build as one that would "make a huge difference to the new tenants, not only now, but in the future too."
The execution went above and beyond minimum standards achieving a Secured by Design Gold award”
The 2021 Master Builder awards concluded in September. Could one of your current projects win an award in the next competition? Nominations for the next awards will be opening in Autumn 2022, read more about it on our awards pages or contact [email protected] for more information.
