Bruceshaw delivers its second Bruceshaw Voice of the year discussing timely project delivery in the residential sector. From client-driven expectations to planning issues and a future filled with smart homes and more varied living typographies, the residential sector faces specific challenges with regards to timely project delivery.

Key topics in the paper include:

More risks, more challenges

The building industry is familiar with typical risks and challenges to deliver projects. This includes consuming as much knowledge in the pre-contract stage, by having a clear brief to translate into a strategy, establishing how and when its best to bring specialists on board to manage key milestones including land acquisition, planning, developed design, procurement and construction.

Different priorities for different types of Clients

Residential mixed-use schemes have their challenges too. Blending construction and occupier access arrangements through the site, due to the client’s genuine desire for early release of other uses for occupation, income stream and placemaking, together with the often sequentially phased contribution of sales of the residential element of the project, all while the project is in construction and phased handover.

Problems with the planning process

Planning authorities are taking up to four weeks to register a planning application in certain London boroughs, with planning submissions taking up to a year in the making and fewer people with less experience in local authorities dealing with them.

New build vs conversion of existing properties

Statistics from the government for the period 2018/19 show of the 240,000 properties delivered, the majority were new builds but there were still nearly 30,000 homes that were created through a change of use. Of these, around 12,000 of the 30,000 new homes were from office to residential building conversions.

Future impacts on the timely delivery of residential projects

How people live and their attitudes to ownership throughout their lives are changing in global cities. People will experience several different living typologies in their lifetimes. Where this impacts project delivery is how these newer typologies are classed in terms of planning and whether they come under close scrutiny in terms of space standards or the preponderance of one type over another in a particular area and the impact of propensity on local authorities.

A tailored, considered approach to residential delivery

Timely project delivery in the residential sector often means taking a considered and tailored approach to programme planning, capturing: Appropriate time allowance, key client goals, key planning aspirations, allowance of time to consider refurbishment and providing time to stock and review the design.

This edition of Bruceshaw Voice was created in conversation with architecture and interiors journalist Helen Parton, Partner Chris Patrick, Associate Colin Park and Associate Rishi Rai.

Link to whitepaper > https://www.bruceshaw.com/insights/timely-project-delivery-in-the-residential-sector/