January 2018

The imminent re-opening of Decimus Burton’s The Temperate House at Kew Gardens after five years of painstaking refurbishment is of much satisfaction to H+R.  This huge glazed structure, the length of Selfridge’s in Oxford Street is part of only four world heritage sites in London together with the Royal Greenwich Observatory and National Maritime Museum at Greenwich, Tower of London and Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey.  H+R have now undertaken specialist investigations at all of then.  Poor original detailing to the cills had encouraged water penetration leading to structurally significant levels of corrosion and timber decay.  H+R are proud to have provided investigative consultancy in support of Donald Insall Associates http://www.donaldinsallassociates.co.uk/, ISG https://www.isgplc.com/en and Ramboll UK http://www.ramboll.co.uk/

Work has continued in Spitalfields in support of the Structural Engineer, AKT II http://www.akt-uk.com/.  Constant film production activity in the area has been a distraction as it is currently also at other H+R listed building projects at Hornsey Town Hall and the vast Pennington Street Warehouse.  Undertaking our specialist surveys for all three of these fully tenanted projects has presented its own challenges such as working at weekends and during the night

Expert witness work and H+R’s growing case load with insurers and loss adjusters has kept the senior directors fully engaged throughout the month from the Channel Islands to the Midlands