How a design and build firm runs a west London refurbishment

A high-end refurbishment in west London goes wrong in the gaps: between the architect and the builder, between the drawing and the price, between what was agreed and what was built. A design and build contract closes those gaps by putting all three in one place. This is how NU Projects runs one.

One team, not three appointments

Architects, interior designers, a quantity surveyor, an MEP team and the site managers all sit inside NU. You are not coordinating them and you are not arbitrating between them. When the structural opening moves, the kitchen drawing and the cost plan move with it, on the same day.

The brief comes before the design

No two of these houses are the same and neither are the people living in them. We start by writing down what the house has to do, room by room, and then design to that. A brief that is written is a brief you can test a drawing against.

Project management is the job, not an add-on

A refurbishment carries hundreds of decisions, deadlines and trades. We run all of it: the programme, the procurement, the deliveries, the inspections and the neighbours. You make the decisions that are yours to make, and you are told when they are due.

Quality is checked while it is still visible

Concealed work, waterproofing, services, setting out, samples and joinery are all inspected before the finishes go over them. Recording quality after the plaster is on is not recording quality.

You always know where the money is

Costs are developed alongside the design, not sprung on you at tender. Changes are described, priced and approved in writing before the work happens, so the final account holds no surprises.

What it adds up to

The point of design and build is not that it is faster. It is that there is one place where responsibility sits, so the finished house matches what you agreed to pay for.

If you are planning a refurbishment in west London, tell us about the house or call 020 7731 6841. The cost calculator gives you an early construction figure, and our 12-stage process sets out each stage in order.