Listed Basement Conversion, Kensington & Chelsea – sustainable waterproofing within a strict conservation area.
Project
The owners of this Grade II Listed terraced property on Ovington Street, in the Chelsea Conservation Area in the London Borough of Kensington & Chelsea, wanted to convert the original basement vaults into a dry and usable space.
However, strict conservation guidelines required that any changes would not negatively impact the fabric of the building or the character of the area – therefore requiring close cooperation between Newton Specialist Contractor Arti Structural Waterproofing, contractor Adrian Design and Le Lay Architects.
Solution
In order to meet the requirements of the conservation area, Arti Structural Waterproofing proposed a sustainable design that not only had the lowest possible impact on the existing fabric, but is also reversible if necessary.
The waterproofing system was comprised of mesh cavity drain membrane as part of the cavity membrane system, which is perfect where a sympathetic installation is necessary, requiring very little preparation and absolutely no chemicals or damage to the fabric. Furthermore, this Newton Waterproofing System is the only one of its kind to hold certification to the BES 6001 standard for responsible sourcing.
The CDM System captures water behind the membranes then uses drainage channels to direct it to a pump system for safe removal. Furthermore, to provide complete peace of mind, Arti also installed a pump monitoring and battery back-up system using a Victron Inverter and Pump Controller panel.
Finally, we plastered the meshed membrane with a 100% ecological material to provide sound absorption, insulation and further sustainability benefits.
Result
Despite the compact size and complex configuration, Arti installed a waterproofing system that delivers a completely dry Grade 3 environment as per BS 8102:2009, and meets all Listed building and sustainability criteria.
“As an eco-conscious company we were very pleased to have the opportunity to use Newton’s sustainable products to provide a quick solution to both waterproof and revitalise these London vaults into usable spaces.
It has also been a pleasure to work with Adrian Designs Ltd who were very professional and well organised construction management team.”
– Stuart Tansey, Business Director – Arti Structural Waterproofing Ltd.
