22 | ECD ARCHITECTS: A NEW MODEL FOR TACKLING ESTATE REFURBISHMENT AND FUEL POVERTY Aside from the thermal improvements and carbon reductions the project sought to improve the appearance of the existing building. As part of an estate-wide regeneration programme Wilmcote House has transformed the Somerstown area of Portsmouth and provides new accessible flats at ground floor in lieu of the former housing office. The works have also improved the security and visibility of the blocks leading to a significant improvement in communal areas. As an occupied LPS building the project included several key challenges which had to be addressed in the design, procurement and delivery of the project. Ensuring minimal disruption and the safety of residents was a critical requirement given the need to remove prefabricated concrete walls at high level. This was achieved by a number of measures which included the use of mast climbers for contractor access, limiting the volume and period of ‘noisy’ working hours and screening the residents from the opening up works. This was identified in tender documents and the selected contractor (Engie) prepared detailed method statements identifying how risks would be mitigated. The existing building was modelled in Revit to improve both the coordination of the detailed design and visual imagery for consultation with residents. PHPP (Passive House Planning Package) was used to understand the thermal performance of both the existing building and retrofit design options. Following PCC’s decision to target the EnerPHit standard this was used as the primary compliance tool and was further developed by the contractor post-tender. ECD completed RIBA Stage 4 information in 2014 and the project was tendered with CDP (contractor design portion) for the external envelope. ECD and Keegans continued to provide technical support and contract administration until the project completed in 2018 with ongoing research support beyond. IMPLEMENTING THE VISION Design, Procurement and Delivery.