01Architecture
Made to overperform.
Multi-unit residential architecture at Sovran begins with the development brief: unit mix, GIA targets, planning context, and the sales or rental strategy the scheme is designed to serve. We produce full architectural packages from planning application through to construction issue: massing studies, planning drawings, design and access statements, and construction documentation. For schemes in London, compliance with the London Plan and borough-specific design policies is addressed from the first concept drawing.
Daylight and sunlight analysis, accessible unit provision under Part M of the Building Regulations, and fire strategy are coordinated in the architectural package before the structural engineer begins their calculations.
For schemes above 10 units, S106 contributions and Community Infrastructure Levy liability are assessed and factored into the development appraisal at the feasibility stage. Sovran advises on viability at the point where design decisions can still be made to accommodate it.
02Fit-Out
High-End finish across every unit.
Fit-out on a multi-unit development is a procurement and programme management challenge as much as a design one. The specification is set once and applied across every unit: kitchen cabinetry, bathroom sanitaryware, flooring, ironmongery, and lighting all procured in volume against a fixed schedule. Sovran manages this process as part of the commission.
Supplier relationships and volume purchasing mean specification-grade materials are procured at trade pricing across the scheme. Every unit receives the same product, installed to the same standard, by the same installation teams working through the programme in sequence.
03Construction
Built with precision.
Multi-unit construction is managed by Sovran with a single site lead responsible for the full programme. Structural frame, envelope, MEP, and fit-out are sequenced so that units are handed over in a controlled flow rather than as a simultaneous completion that creates quality control problems at handover.
For schemes with a phased sales strategy, the programme is structured to deliver completed units in line with the developer's release schedule. Building control and warranty sign-off, NHBC or equivalent, is managed as part of the construction programme.
Party wall procedures under the Party Wall Act 1996 are initiated at the design stage for schemes adjacent to existing residential properties. Section 6 of the Act applies to excavation within 3 metres of a neighbouring structure where new foundations go deeper than existing ones, this is relevant to basement levels and foundation design on constrained urban sites and is planned for rather than encountered mid-programme.
04Interior Design
Exclusive integration.
Interior design on a multi-unit scheme is about setting a specification that presents well in every unit, not just the show apartment. Sovran designs the interior specification for the full scheme: material palettes, kitchen and bathroom layouts, lighting design, and FF&E; and produces a specification document that the construction programme can be built around.
Show apartment fit-out is delivered at a higher specification level where required for sales purposes, with the scheme specification designed to read as a credible step below.
For schemes that include amenity spaces: residents' lounges, concierge areas, rooftop terraces, or gym facilities. The interior design is delivered to the same standard as the units themselves, with commercial-grade materials specified for the higher footfall and wear those spaces receive.
