SPOTLIGHT GIR CONSTRUCTION SOLUTIONS LTD
If rising to the challenge is what defines a Master Builder, then Ben Chalk of GIR Construction Solutions Ltd in London is at the top of his game MADE TO INSPIRE
N ew building safety regulations either have already or will affect the way you work. Just ask Ben Chalk, Founder and Operational Director of London-based GIR Construction Solutions Ltd, about a project that tested his regulatory knowledge and strategic problem-solving. Hired by the freeholder of the building, Chalk was tasked with carrying out a two-storey vertical extension to a block of flats in Brixton. “The project became complex because it triggered certain fire regulations due to the building’s new height,” Chalk explains. “As you know, in the UK, once a building surpasses 11 metres, it introduces a new level of regulatory complexity. Since we were doing a rooftop extension – adding two additional stories to an existing building – this threshold became a major challenge. Typically, when a building exceeds 11 metres, the London Fire Brigade typically asks for a full retrofit of the building with sprinklers, which in Chalk’s case would have meant disrupting tenants, breaking into ceilings, and installing large pipes – which is costly and invasive. “Before starting the project, I worked closely with a building control body to confirm we could proceed while mitigating the need retrofit the entire building by implementing alternative fire safety measures. “However, midway through the project, that building control company merged with a larger firm, and all prior approvals were some how
Two-storey vertical extension in Brixton by GIR Construction Solutions Ltd
install sprinklers,” Chalk says. undertaking intrusive works.”
pushed aside. The new firm insisted we retrofit the entire building, which would have made the project financially unviable due to the additional costs and disruptions.” Retrofitting the building would have required the team to install sprinklers in all of the other 14 existing flats. “But it’s not like we automatically had the right to enter people’s homes to
alternative fire safety measures. These included: ● adding additional lobby spaces to the staircase to separate the existing flats from the main staircase, improving fire safety for leaseholders and tenants; and ● installing a positive pressurisation unit – there was no space to install a traditional smoke ventilation system – which introduces
Interpreting the rules Chalk says building regulations are open to interpretation. “While regulations might state certain standards need to be met, every building is unique, and different solutions can achieve compliance.” To avoid retrofitting the entire building, Chalk introduced
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Master Builder
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