Construction work for subsidised residential accommodation

Tender description

SHAC Housing Association originated in 1977 as the Student's Housing Association Co-operative Ltd, with the overarching aim of providing accommodation for students and single people. Over the following three-and-a-half decades, SHAC developed and managed over 850 units of accommodation. A significant proportion of SHAC's housing stock comprised purpose-built blocks of shared flats — similar in configuration and layout to university halls of residence — with units comprising a number of private bedrooms served by shared kitchens, bathrooms and living areas. Despite continuing high levels of demand for housing across Northern Ireland, SHAC's shared accommodation is not eligible — in its existing format at least — for allocation in accordance with the Northern Ireland Housing Executive's Common Selection Scheme (often referred to as the ‘Housing Waiting List’). The existing property is located close to the junction of Asylum Road and Princes Street and comprises a five storey (excluding basement), purpose-built accommodation block, whose construction was completed by SHAC during 1987-88. The property's accommodation currently comprises a number of three, four and five bedroom shared units, set across the ground to fourth floor levels. The first to fourth floors contain one four-bedroom and one five-bedroom unit each, with the ground floor containing 1 5 and 1 3-bedroom unit, which was, at 1 time, provided as living quarters for the scheme's on-site warden. A communal laundry room has been provided at basement level, whilst the scheme's common room, main switchgear, Landlord's storage space and communal welfare facilities are also accommodated within the basement. The property is situated within a busy, well-established, built-up urban environment, just off the Strand Road arterial route on the Westbank of the City of Derry. Accommodation is served by a total of seven car parking spaces, running parallel to the building's front elevation, which are accessible from Asylum Road. Much of the immediate built environment comprises older, aesthetically appealing properties, which contribute to the area's overall townscape character. Many of the original Edwardian and Georgian townhouses appear to have been quite sympathetically converted to modern office accommodation and are let to an array of local businesses. One of Fold Housing's larger ‘Category 2’ sheltered schemes within the City of Derry, Lavery Fold, is immediately next door and appears to have been constructed in and around the same time as the 3-5 Woodleigh Terrace building. In summary, the current mix of accommodation at the scheme comprises: 5nr 5-person five-bedroom shared units 4nr 4-person four-bedroom shared units 1nr 3-person three-bedroom shared unit. In total, the current scheme provides 44nr private bed spaces across a total of ten units of shared accommodation. An enclosed, private courtyard is provided at the rear of the property, which is accessible from the ground floor lobby, whilst the building is also served by a communal passage to the rear to facilitate refuse collection. The building's central core contains all vertical circulation facilities, including 2 separate, fully enclosed stairwells, whilst the single passenger lift — serving all 6 levels of the building — comprises a modern installation, having been replaced as part of Choice Housing's 2012-13 Planned Maintenance Programme. The Woodleigh Terrace building benefits from a steel superstructure, which then appears to have been supplemented with reinforced concrete, with the secondary concrete element thought to mainly act as a protective measure. The building's external elevations comprise a self-coloured dry-dash render to the vast majority of areas, with the non-rendered areas, mainly at lower level, provided with a smooth red facing brick. Insulated cavity wall construction is assumed throughout, whilst floors throughout consist of pre-stressed reinforced concrete slab construction, with the exception of the basement, which comprises a 1980s Building Standards-compliant, solid concrete floor construction. On-site inspection, desktop review of available records, as well as enquiries with the relevant statutory authorities, would all indicate that the building has not been significantly altered, either internally or externally, during the course of its life, beyond some standard like-for-like component replacement. More information is detailed in section 7.2 of the MOI document.