en.Wedoany.com Reported - SOCOTEC UK & Ireland has been appointed to provide multidisciplinary technical services for the development project at 10 & 11 Lancaster Gate, London. The project involves converting a Grade II listed building from a hotel into a six-story residential building, including a basement, with plans to create 11 luxury apartments.
Located in the upscale residential area of the City of Westminster, north of Hyde Park in central London, the building was designed by John Johnson and constructed in 1865. It is a grand terraced house with an iconic facade and decorative cornice lines. Key challenges of the project include preserving the heritage building and undertaking structural repairs, removing it from the Heritage at Risk Register, and achieving fire safety compliance during the conversion of a protected building, while balancing modern safety requirements with conservation constraints.
SOCOTEC is collaborating with Heriot UK and Prest Vale Architects to provide integrated building pathology and fire engineering services. The team's scope of work includes: quantifying the extent of decay caused by roof drainage failure and dry rot through building pathology surveys; developing remedial strategies for external masonry, internal finishes, and timber structures; formulating a fire safety strategy tailored to the Grade II listed building, including a stay-put evacuation strategy for residential areas and simultaneous evacuation for ancillary areas; designing a hybrid lift system that can serve as an evacuation lift upon detection of smoke or fire; meeting Regulation 6(3) compliance for external wall requirements regarding non-combustible cladding; and protecting the historic timber staircase while applying fire-retardant treatment to the central escape route.
Detailed surveys provided risk management recommendations for renovation works aimed at preventing structural collapse and restoring the building's original appearance. The fire safety strategy ensured comprehensive regulatory compliance. Deliverables from the team included structural repair guidance to prevent collapse, a target for removal from the Heritage at Risk Register through full restoration works, innovative fire safety solutions balancing conservation with modern requirements, and regulatory compliance to enable construction commencement.
Construction is underway and expected to be completed in 2026. Tabea Uhr, SOCOTEC's Principal Fire Engineer and Project Manager, stated that despite the project's challenges, the team was able to develop multiple creative solutions for the apartment and core layouts to ensure historical elements—such as the staircase, lift shaft, and cornice lines—were preserved while the design met modern safety standards.
