A Vision of Transformation

Wolverhampton City Council had a clear vision of what they wanted in the Graiseley area of Wolverhampton.  An area on the edge of the city centre, on the outside of the ring road.  They wanted to substantially regenerate this area of run-down mixed 60’s development of low, medium and high-rise accommodation.

Central to the development and adjacent to the ring road stood a group of three brick clad 10 storey flats that had become shabby and notorious over the years.  By refurbishing them they had the opportunity to set a standard for the rest of the development to achieve and  give the area a new identity.  With it being next to the ring road they could also make a statement to the rest of the city and the general public of their intention to redevelop the inner city urban area into a high quality city-scape that all of the city could be proud of (wow factor) and that would greatly improve the quality of life for the people of the Graiseley area.

WCC approached the refurbishment of the tower blocks with a blank canvass.  Following consultation it was decided that the best way of tackling such a project was to partner with a selected team of contractors who would adopt the partnering ethos of honesty, trust and integrity with the commitment to share roles and responsibilities.  With the correct team of experienced “can-do” contractors on board there could be creative collaborative working to produce a group of buildings with the quality and landmark factor they wanted.

With their consultant partner Jacobs Babtie, WCC interviewed a number of prospective partners and eventually selected Bullock, based on our proven record of refurbishment on high rise buildings and the knowledge, expertise and customer focus that Wolverhampton City Council were looking for.  We were also experienced in working as part of a team as 90% of our present workload is carried out in partnership.

With Bullock on board the requirements of the residents and the structure were investigated and identified with WCC’s overall vision always in mind.

Throughout the process budgetary considerations were paramount.  An initial budget was developed by WCC and this was used to establish a cost plan.  Each section of the work was let as a cost package.  This was integrated into the cost plan and monitored in order to achieve maximum cost certainty.

Working with the architects’ department and Jacobs Babtie a brief for the external envelope was developed.  The team then approached the market place to identify various schemes that were reviewed, costed and evaluated.  They included render and various rain screen and cladding alternatives.

By interviewing and researching the various options and by use of a structured selection system a rain screen solution was chosen.  This had the advantages of being flexible and economical, offering an unlimited colour choice and enhancing the environmental credentials of the council.  It also enabled the open balconies of the flats to be enclosed and the living space of the residents expanded into this new  double glazed area giving them a greatly enhanced environment.

The investigation of the resident’s needs and their present quality of life within the well-worn accommodation identified a number of issues that also needed to be urgently addressed.  These included worn out kitchens, out of date electrics, an under floor heating system that had been abandoned and never fully replaced and also a leaking and smelling water and drainage system that was a constant headache for the maintenance department.  Added to this were refuse chutes that were constantly blocking up, lifts that often broke down trapping the elderly residents of the sheltered block in their flats and an external environment that did not encourage the residents to look after it.  To tackle these issues the partnering team was expanded to include R and N Electrical, Superior Plumbing Installations and Dartford Metalcraft refuse chute specialists.  To overcome the problem of the lifts ThyseenKrupp lift manufacturers and Waycon specialist manufacturers of pre-caste concrete lift shafts were also seconded to the team.

Further to cost and practicality issues being overcome it was decided to provide new kitchens, rewire flats and provide new heating.  Also replace the water and drainage system, install new waste chutes and to overcome the lift problem a new lift was installed encased in a new shaft attached to the side of the building.

The surrounding environment was also upgraded with the provision of new walls and footpaths.

Finally, new entrances were provided to each block and a new communal area and extension to the ground floor of the sheltered flats.

As envisaged the three blocks now stand proud beside the city ring road.  The work has successfully transformed the visual impact of this side of the city and the quality of life for the residents.