Commendation for best interior design of a new home
Luxury living
This two-bedroom apartment in a Grade II* listed building was used as the construction project for the TV programme “Bricking it” shown on Channel Four in December 2004 and repeated in March 2005. This latest version of reality TV did not actually film people watching paint dry, nor did it feature Ant and Dec, but it did follow a group of ten unemployed teenagers aged between 18 and 20, chosen from more than 1,000 applicants, who were given the task of creating a high-spec apartment in a derelict historic warehouse.
Over a period of six months, the unskilled trainees were taught how to build by a team of skilled tradesmen and under the supervision of a project manager and a construction manager to make sure they got it right. This was no dumbed-down TV makeover programme using MDF and fancy decorative effects designed by long-haired poseurs. This was the real thing, creating a luxury apartment that was eventually put on the market for sale by Berkeley Homes at £350,000.
How was it done? By having Dr Phil Ashton, a project manager on multi-million-pound developments, who is also head of construction research at the School of the Environment, University of Brighton, as project manager. He was backed up by Andy Carson, construction manager for Berkeley Homes at Royal Arsenal, and a team of skilled building workers who included a master plumber, a registered electrician, an experienced tiler, a specialist painter and decorator, a skilled plasterer and a qualified carpenter and joiner.
Also in the team of experts was award-winning interior designer Tara Bernerd, founder and chairman of Target Living, the architectural and design consultancy she set up in 2002 with her partner Thomas Griem. Last year, Tara Bernerd won this award for the Best Interior Design of a New Home with her colourful but cool designs for a £4- million house at Petersham, Surrey, designed by architect Sir Terry Farrell for Berkeley Homes. This year, with a much smaller budget, she has earned a commendation for the interior design of this apartment at Royal Arsenal, where she married quality with funky styling appropriate
for the likely young buyers.
Make no mistake, the trainees did not have an easy time. Their hours were long, the work was
hard and the discipline was something they were not used to. There were arguments, poor workmanship, wilful damage, warnings, fines, suspensions, and two of the trainees were actually dismissed, but the remaining eight soldiered on and eventually completed the work to the satisfaction of Berkeley’s construction manager and the academic project manager.
The survivors shared a completion bonus and got the chance of an apprenticeship in their chosen trades. It was good television, good training and an eye opener for anyone who had no idea what builders actually do. Whether it put many viewers off buying a house or an apartment is another matter. One certainly cannot tell from the photographs that this attractive apartment was created by a bunch of unruly amateurs, albeit working under close supervision, but unfortunately this is the case with much building work these days. Was it ever so?
HomeBuilder: BERKELEY HOMES (EAST THAMES) LIMITED
Berkeley House, Arsenal Way, Woolwich, London SE18 6TF
Tel 020 8319 5900 Fax 020 8319 5901
Contact: Amber Hawkes, Marketing Manager
Email: amber.hawkes@berkeleygroup.co.uk
Website: www.berkeleyhomes.co.uk
Architects: A+Q PARTNERSHIP (LONDON) LIMITED
The Lux Building, 2-4 Hoxton Square, London N1 6NU
Tel 020 7613 2244 Fax 020 7613 2642
Contact: Keith Cowell, Director
Email: london@aqp.co.uk
Website: www.aqp.co.uk
Interior design : TARGET LIVING
6 Pont Street, London SW1X 9EL
Tel 020 7823 2316 Fax 020 7823 2317
Contact: Tara Bernerd, Managing Director
Email: tara@targetliving.com
Website: www.targetliving.com
