Cladding Remediation Brickdale House
Anstey Horne led the cladding remediation project at Brickdale House in Stevenage, bringing together external wall fire risk assessment, design coordination, procurement and delivery. Our appointment covered a Fire Risk Appraisal of the External Walls (FRAEW), Project Management, Employer’s Agent, Cost Consultancy and Principal Designer duties under the CDM Regulations. This joined-up approach gave the client a clear route from identifying the risks to completing the £2.8 million remediation scheme.
The building and the challenge
Brickdale House is a six-storey residential building below 18 metres in height. Developers converted the original four-storey, concrete-framed office building into apartments around 2014 and added two further storeys. The conversion introduced external wall materials that required investigation and remediation, including expanded polystyrene (EPS) render, aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding and timber decking.
The client needed to establish the nature and extent of the fire risk before agreeing the works. The project team then had to remove the relevant combustible materials and install suitable replacements while residents continued to occupy the building. Access to homes, construction noise, temporary works and the maintenance of fire precautions all needed careful coordination.
Funding added another important requirement. Homes England administered support for the works through the Cladding Safety Scheme, so the remediation scope and procurement process needed to reflect the funding arrangements as well as the building’s technical needs.
Our approach to cladding remediation at Brickdale House
We began with a detailed FRAEW in accordance with PAS 9980:2022. The appraisal examined the existing external wall and provided an evidence-based basis for deciding which materials to remove and how to sequence the work. It helped the team develop a remediation strategy around the risks found at Brickdale House, rather than treating every part of the façade in the same way.
Anstey Horne then coordinated the client’s representatives, fire engineers, cladding specialists and principal contractor. Our Project Management team tracked the programme and risks, while our Cost Consultancy team managed the budget and assessed changes against the agreed scope. As Employer’s Agent, we administered the contract and monitored the client’s requirements for quality and delivery. Our Principal Designer role addressed design and construction risk under the CDM Regulations.
Procurement played a central part in the scheme. We prepared a process that set out the required standards for the replacement systems and asked tendering contractors to demonstrate relevant competence. Connecting the specification to the FRAEW findings helped the team keep the proposed works focused on the identified fire risks and the Cladding Safety Scheme’s funding requirements.
Delivering works in an occupied building
Cladding remediation at Brickdale House required more than access to the outside of the building. Residents needed clear information about when work would affect their homes and communal areas. We worked with the delivery team to plan intrusive and noisy activities, coordinate access and set expectations for security and site housekeeping.
The programme grouped activities to limit the time spent working on each elevation and at each flat. During removal and reinstatement, the team maintained a focus on temporary fire precautions and safe access for occupants. Regular inspections, photographic records and material evidence supported checks on the quality of the works as they progressed.
The outcome
The cladding remediation at Brickdale House removed the combustible façade components identified by the FRAEW and replaced them with appropriate systems. The project addressed key external wall fire risks through a risk-led scope, while phased working and resident communication helped limit disruption. Anstey Horne maintained commercial oversight of the £2.8 million scheme from procurement through delivery.
Brickdale House demonstrates how effective cladding remediation depends on several disciplines working together. The FRAEW defined the problem. Design and procurement translated its findings into deliverable works. Project management, cost control and resident liaison helped the team carry out those works in an occupied residential building.
