26 Pot House Lane

As the appointed designer in accordance with CDM Regulations 2015, Shepherd Gilmour was responsible for provision of the existing & proposed property plans, as well as structural design information, required for submission to Building Control to facilitate opening up works of an existing basement.

The property in question was an Edwardian brick & stone-built property. Internal walls were constructed of masonry brickwork, while external walls typically consisted of a brickwork inner leaf, with a large vented cavity and a random stone external leaf tied with cast iron wall ties.

This project included design of a new reinforced concrete floor, tanked and insulated beneath to increase energy efficiency. Details were advised in accordance with UK Building Regulations and NHBC Standards. An internal load bearing wall was removed, with the floor joists above supported by a slender steel beam as photographed. We advised our client it would be possible to maximise head-height and conceal the beam, by situating the steel within the floor void, securing joists either side via joist hangers.

Furthermore, a large opening in the external wall was achieved via the use of a Rectangular Hollo Section (RHS) beam and plate, supported by slender Parallel Flange Channel (PFC) columns situated on concrete pad foundations. Once again, the size and position of the steel was optimised to maximise head-height & to provide a seamless level floor between the internal floor and external decking once the sliding doors were installed.