SB – Constraints
CONSTRAINTS
1 – UK legal & civil systems
The process of building is constrained by legal and civil systems.
Constraints are to be contractually ensured in order to prevent issues in the project and to serve the users of the building, In order to ensure its safety and security for its users, standard regulations are adopted and must be followed by the architects, engineer, and contractors in order to meet the mentioned standards, necessary for the project to be considered “complete” and usable. The Building regulations are monitored by a building control officer whose task is to monitor the evolution of the project from the planning to the end of it. He or she, must also ensure that the standard regulations criterias have been met
However, It is the architects duty to inform the client of the following and advise on their effect according to the British Building regulations,
(UK building regulation – Part B: Volume 1 Fire Safety in Dwelling Houses)
Here a list of the 14 parts of the UK building regulations:
Part A: Building Regulations Structure
A1: Loading
A2: Ground Movement
A3: Disproportionate Collapse
Part B: Volume 1 Fire Safety in Dwelling Houses
B1: Means of warning and escape
B2: Internal fire spread (Lining)
B3: Internal fire spread (Structure)
B4: External fire spread
B5: Access and facilities for the fire service
Part B: Volume 2 Fire Safety in Buildings other than Dwelling houses
B1: Means of warning and escape
B2: Internal fire spread (Lining)
B3: Internal fire spread (Structure)
B4: External fire spread
B5: Access and facilities for the fire service
Part C: Site Preparation and Resistance to Containments and Moisture
C1: Site preparation and resistance to containments
C2: Resistance to moisture
Part D: Toxic Substances
D1: Cavity insulation
Part E: Resistance to the Passage of Sound
E1: Protection against sound from other parts of the building and adjoining buildings
E2: Protection against sound within a dwelling house
E3: Reverberation in common internal parts of the building
E4: Acoustic Conditions in Schools
Part F: Ventilation
F1: Means of ventilation
Part G: Sanitation, Hot Water Safety and water Efficiency
G1: Cold water supply
G2: Water efficiency
G3: Hot water supply and systems
G4: Sanitary conveniences and washing facilities
G5: Bathrooms
G6: Kitchens and food preparation areas
Part H: Drainage and Waste Disposal
H1: Foul water drainage
H2: Waste water treatment systems and cesspools
H3: Rainwater drainage
H4: Building over sewers
H5: Separate systems of drainage
H6: Solid waste storage
Part J: Combustion Appliances and Food Storage Systems
J1: Air supply
J2: Discharge of products of combustion
J3: Warning of release of carbon monoxide
J4: Protection of building
J5: Provision of information
J6: Protection of liquid fuel storage systems
J7: Protection against pollution
Part K: Protection From Falling, Collision and Impact
K1: Stairs, ladders and ramps
K2: Protection from falling
K3: Vehicle barriers and loading bays
K4: Protection against impact with glazing
K5: Additional provisions for glazings in buildings other than dwellings
K6: Protection against impact from and trapping by doors
Part L: Conservation of Fuel and Power
L1: Conservation of fuel and power in new dwellings
L2: Conservation of fuel and power in existing dwellings
L3: Conversation of fuel and power in new buildings other than dwellings
L4: Conservation of fuel and power in existing buildings other than dwellings
Part M: Access to and Use of Buildings
M1: Access and use
M2: Access to extensions to building other than dwellings
M3: Sanitary conveniences in extensions to buildings other than dwellings
M4: Sanitary conveniences in dwellings
Part N: Glazing Safety in relation to Impact, Opening and Cleaning
N1: Protection against impact
N2: Manifestation of glazing
N3: Safe opening and closing of windows, skylights and ventilators
N4: Safe access for cleaning windows
Part P: Electrical Safety
P1: Design and safety of electrical installations
2- Boundaries
The property does not have any party wall boundary as it exploits the total surface area of an existing building (former paint factory) transforming it into work and commerce spaces (ground floor) and residencial spaces (upper floors) without being in physical contact with a neighbouring buildings.
The rights of proprietors, which include noise, nuisance and dirt and damage-related boundary terms are set by the Part E of the standard building regulation, which covers the passage of sound constraints, where the building and each dwelling by law must be protected “against sound from adjoining buildings” and reverberations in common internal spaces should be treated so to ensure no nuisance and reverberation to the living people of the development.
The development, is provided with “boundary walls” which are situated on the back of the building, dividing the internal courtyard from the adjacent street.
3 – Conservation statutory and Planning
The Planning and Conservation statutory are legislations which help the councils and the society to preserve conservation buildings (or areas) within the territory under their jurisdiction, for instance Listed buildings by showing and considering their relative architectural or historic interest: Grade I (highest) Grade II*, Grade II. Thanks to this statutory, historically relevant buildings can be preserved in this way preserving the nature of the area and its community as well.
The development by Sergison Bates in Wandsworth was not affected by this statutory as the paint factory which was used for the development was not a listed building.
The Planning of the project had faced consultations with the communal body and exerted a planning application which would have allowed the architects and clients to realise the project and extend it to the contractors and building company.
Outline application
“Applications for outline planning permission seek to establish whether the scale and nature of a proposed development would be acceptable to the local planning authority, before a fully detailed proposal is put forward.
This type of planning application allows fewer details about the proposal to be submitted. Once outline permission has been granted, an approval of the details (“reserved matters”) will be delivered before works can start. These details will be the subject of a “reserved matters” application at a later stage”.
Full Planning application
“This application is used to make a detailed planning application for a development, excluding householder developments. For the purposes of this form, development includes building, engineering or other works, in, on, over or under land, or the making of any material change in the use of any buildings or other land. As such it should be used for:
- Any works relating to a flat
- Applications to change the number of dwellings (flat conversions, building a separate house in the garden)
- Changes of use to part or all of the property to non-residential (including business) uses
- Anything outside the garden of the property (including stables if in a separate paddock)”
No application for demolition was submitted by S.B. as no need for demolition was required. Instead, the project involved an application for the renovation of an existing building, the implementation of a roof top addition and the construction of a tower designated for residence purpose. Such new extentions of the existing building were subject to the extension of services.
Part M of the British standard building regulations include and describe the following arguments:
M1: Access and use
M2: Access to extensions to building other than dwellings
M3: Sanitary conveniences in extensions to buildings other than dwellings
M4: Sanitary conveniences in dwellings
The use of this building is of commercial and residential nature, which tags it into the mixed-use category of developements
4 – Environmental and sustainability legislation
The environmental and sustainability legislations are legal constraints which help to preserve the integrity of the environment and its inhabitants (including animals) during the construction and throughout the life of a building some resources (such as gas, electricity, water) are used, as well as wastes too, which could include the dispersal in air of CO, CO2, toxic substances, black waters which could poison the surrounding areas, eventual streams and the air.
The environmental and sustainability legislation comprises laws which help to guide a building toward sustainability and cover the following fields:
the monitoring of :
1) Air Emissions
2) Land Contamination
3) Waste Disposal
4) Water Discharges
5) Resource Use
in this project, due to the UK legislation, a high regard toward sustainability was exerted, in this way to reduce the CO emissions from the building’s heating systems, the dispersal of black waters in the environment, the prevention of toxic materials to compromise the functionality of the building, so to make it safe sustainable to the environment and its users.
5 – Services
6 – Legal Obligations
Ownership of Landlease and tenancy agreements
Ownership of commercial and domestic spaces within the building
Spatial requirements enforced by law for commercial and domestic buildings
Rights of neighbouring properties and tenants whom may be affected by the project
Social and cultural responsibilities:
Conservation of public rights of way, heritage and preservation of trees
Rights of light to surrounding residences
Possible impact of noise, dirt, disturbance, damage during construction and throughout the building’s life.
Continued use of ground floor commercial and public amenities.
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