London Leads, Other Cities Follow In ‘Airspace Developments’

We talk to Parul Scampion, COO of Fruition Properties, to find out more about airspace developments.

Parul, can you tell us a bit about your day-to-day role as COO at Fruition Properties?

As well as general business oversight, I have a particular responsibility for the finance and planning functions, ensuring that our schemes are innovative and continue to break boundaries. In many ways, property was an accident for me – my background is in corporate finance and management consulting, however I soon learned that the skills were transferable – and there is something hugely rewarding about creating homes. I take great satisfaction in seeing customers enjoy our new homes and communities.

The company is becoming a serious player in the area of 'airspace developments', what do we mean when we talk about this?

This refers to adding storeys and creating additional homes on top of existing buildings, whether residential, commercial or industrial. It is particularly effective in densely populated areas and is a sustainable way to meet increasing demand for housing while preserving existing architecture. We have been creating airspace schemes for over 10 years now and see this has a huge growth area.

As the homes are typically constructed using Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), for the consumer it ultimately means a precision engineered home that is of higher quality and cheaper to run than a conventional property.

Do you feel this is the future of new home building in our cities needing more housing?

We feel it is truly a game changer for unlocking new housing and has vast potential to make a positive impact on the housing shortage – our recent research with Knight Frank revealed that Southwark in London alone has potential to house 2,000 new rooftop homes without any demolition of existing buildings. Imagine the potential if it can be rolled out across the UK?

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Are some cities more in favour of this type of build than others?

London is leading the way at present, driven by the huge supply-demand imbalance and spiralling cost of conventional land, however these projects are popping up in other key cities like Manchester.

What would you say to detractors who point to the greater levels of crowding and pollution that this kind of building could bring?

As long as the scheme is well designed, generally speaking the addition of a handful of residents isn’t a problem. Often, the existing building will be significantly improved during the works – from the creation of new stairs or lifts to improved communal areas and facilities. It is also an effective way to improve the fire safety of older buildings which wouldn’t meet today’s regulations and update their facades, which from a sustainability point of view, is far better than knocking down and rebuilding.

Which rooftop schemes is Fruition working on currently?

We are about to submit a revised planning application at Crimscott Street in Bermondsey, a truly innovative scheme that will be the first to combine residential and light-industrial uses through airspace development and MMC. These will be high quality apartments ideal for young professionals who want to be close to the buzz of Bermondsey, London Bridge and the City. We are also working closely with separate groups of leaseholders to bring forward two further schemes in Hendon and Southwark.

Do these schemes require a different approach to their layout and interior design compared with more conventional new builds?

The biggest technical challenge is ultimately connecting and creating access between the two structures – however the home layouts and interior design are similar. The actual process of securing and developing these projects is what is really tricky – as there are a whole new set of legal, engineering and technical complexities associated with rooftop developments that require specialist expertise.

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You established a reputation for creating luxurious conversions, are you still offering these?

We still take these projects on from time to time. In fact, we are just unveiling 49 Bassett Road, which is a meticulous Victorian conversion, comprising five spacious apartments and one exceptional house in North Kensington. A nod to our roots, it retains the original façade and provides the perfect blend of stunning restored period features – big rooms, high ceilings, bay windows – with a contemporary specification and the benefits of a new build property. It’s a very unique offering and we expect demand to be high as people often want the best of both worlds but rarely find it.

How do you think the pandemic has changed our desire for city living; is the current trend to 'move out' a lasting one or are people now hankering for the hustle and bustle once more?

The pandemic and associated flexible working trends have certainly caused a lifestyle shift for some people who are moving to the suburbs or more rural locations. However, cities like London will always have an appeal and I firmly believe they will bounce back as things open up again. Just this week it has been incredibly warming to see streets filling up again, shops opening and people dining outdoors – I suspect property demand will mirror this.

And finally, what's happening at Fruition in the next 12 months?

We have big growth ambitions to almost double our pipeline and want to increasingly harness technology, data and modern methods of construction to sustainably deliver new homes across the capital. We are also growing our team and launching a Share Scheme for our employees so that they can share in our success.

Find out more at www.fruitionproperties.co.uk.