Large Assisted Living Facility in London
SURVEYS | REMEDIAL WORKS | REPLACEMENTS | INSTALLATION
Large Assisted Living Facility in London
About The Site
For 50 years this large assisted living facility in London has provided affordable, self-sustaining homes for retired residents on a not-or-profit basis. This eight-story building features 188 self-contained flats with views of a beautiful garden and a forest. Remarkably, it has never relied on grants and its facilities are continuously updated without external funding.
The idea was conceived by a Polish-born architect, who unfortunately passed away before seeing his vision come to life. The building’s initial £1 million cost was partly covered by government loans, with the final repayment due in 2030.
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The property offers a variety of services, including weekday reception staffing, security fob access and full-time staff available for residents. A restaurant provides meals at affordable prices, with delivery for those unable to attend. The communal areas include a lounge, bar staffed by volunteers, shop, laundry, hairdresser and chiropodist services. Residents can also enjoy a library, computer room, snooker room, croquet court and various activities like dancing and tai chi.
The assisted living house benefits from excellent transport links, including trains to Liverpool Street and offers residents access to the parks, gardens and rivers of London. With a deep appreciation for its offerings, one long-term resident reflects on their 14 years there as a fortunate and fulfilling experience.
Our Commitment
Meritas was approached by the site manager of a care facility to develop a solution for 16 non-compliant riser cupboard walls, ensuring the building met all regulatory standards.
We carried out a comprehensive inspection to assess the full extent of non-compliance, streamlining the process to identify a third-party certified solution.
After the inspection, we collaborated with multiple manufacturers to provide the most effective solution tailored to the client’s needs. By maintaining clear communication and utilising our industry expertise, we successfully delivered a compliant solution that seamlessly integrated with the building’s existing fire strategy.
Scope of Works
During our inspection, we discovered that the riser walls along the fire escape route were constructed with a non-compliant timber structure, posing a significant risk to both life and property. Further investigation revealed a variety of pipes, of different sizes, running between the floors and ceilings, with no visible fire stopping in place to prevent the spread of fire.
Resolution
Our engineers were tasked with removing and disposing of the existing non-compliant timber structure and replacing it with a third-party accredited British Gypsom system.
The wooden riser cupboard and frame were safely removed by our on-site engineers.
We then installed a double-layered, double-sided plasterboard system, with staggered joints for enhanced durability. The plasterboard was secured using 25mm and 40mm screws into a 50mm track and 48mm stud. Following installation, all joints and edges were sealed, and screw heads were covered in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
Additionally, we installed a 550x550mm fire-rated access hatch, providing 60 minutes of fire protection, into the plasterboard wall to complete the system.