Alex Pope and Felix Langlois, founding partners at VOZA Developments, tell us about development projects that go from conception to completion.
Alex, How did you come to establish VOZA Developments together?
Felix and I first met at school in Dorset, and always knew that one day we wanted to work together in some capacity. Felix went to Reading University and studied Real Estate before joining Grosvenor Britain and Ireland as a development manager. In his he role he oversaw a broad variety of commercial and residential projects all the way through from conception to completion.
I graduated from Nottingham University with a degree in Architecture. Since then, I’ve worked at well-known Prime Central London developers, Landmass and Tenhurst, where I managed and co-ordinated the design and marketing process across a number of high-profile projects.
We kept in touch and regularly shared ideas and having been in our previous roles for close to a decade, we felt that we had sufficiently built the knowledge, experience and relationships required to branch out together and successfully deliver a variety of projects. So, in 2019 we set up VOZA Developments to establish a service that would offer a fresh perspective on the development process.
Can you tell us a bit about the different services that VOZA provides?
We drive value through our ability to undertake all of the architectural and interior design aspects in-house, as well as the development and financial management of each project. This enables us to maintain full accountability for all of the design and financial aspects of each project. In turn, allowing us to deliver bespoke projects on budget for our clients or stronger returns for our investors.
This integrated, hands-on approach to management creates a fully coordinated delivery process which is crucial to the success of our projects from a social and financial standpoint. This approach requires us to be very selective with the projects that we take on, so that we never over commit ourselves.
You’ve recently completed a wonderful project in Belgravia, what was the brief?
The brief was to breath some live into an unloved duplex apartment in a fantastic location just next to Sloane Square.
14 Cliveden Place
Having undertaken the full detailed design and tendering process whilst we waiting for the planning determination, we were able to immediately start on site, in February 2021, once we had completed the ‘Subject to Planning’ purchase.
We undertook an extensive 16-week refurbishment programme, which completely transformed a dated period apartment into a comfortable modern space. The works included, floor strengthening, creating an open-plan setting on the second floor comprising kitchen, dining and living areas, as well as splitting the family bathroom upstairs to create a master en suite and separate guest bathroom.
Despite purchasing a new investment product just one month before the COVID-19 pandemic forced us into a national lockdown and the complications this caused during the works, we were very happy with overall project delivery and being able to agree a sale within five days of having it on the market.
Much of your development work focuses on the redevelopment of centrally-located, period buildings that have been designed to make a profit; is this a growing market in London?
Our main objective is sourcing projects that will provide a significant uplift. Typically distressed or dated period properties provide the best long-term value, as there is a limited supply and they always command global interest. After all, it’s quite special to own a piece of historic central London.
Although this means each project has its own personality and opportunities, it also requires us to work even harder to manage all the risks involved. This is often why other developers avoid these types of projects, as it is intensive process in a very competitive market place. Which is unlikely to change any time soon given London’s global presence.
14 Cliveden Place
Is there a pocket of London that’s become the latest ‘hidden gem’ to have been discovered?
There are very few hidden gems these days, especially with Google street view... However, we have just purchased an apartment project near Kinnerton Street in North Belgravia which, for us, is the most central ‘village street’ in London. It’s unbelievable quiet, incredibly central and has some fantastic local amenities which have been there for decades!
You also offer a private client service; how has the pandemic affected international clients’ plans to create beautiful homes in London over the past year or so?
It remains difficult for international clients to move freely in and out of the country, however, the way we operate is to provide our investors and partners with detailed reports and information on every aspect of the project, so it hasn’t impacted us too much.
In fact, we have completed projects without even meeting the client in person! Which isn’t how we would usually like to undertake our projects. It shows how ideas can be communicated very effectively, but it also is testament to how much our clients trust us to undertake their projects.
What’s the next big thing in luxe interiors?
Our clients and end users are interested in more than just having a lovely apartment. They want the end product to be less impactful on the environment and elements of the furniture to have a story and uniqueness to them. This is why a big part of our job is carefully selecting materials and furniture pieces that create a sense of individuality that make a place feel like home.
Recently interior upcycling has become a real trend and carefully selected second-hand pieces can add a lot of character and charm to the finished product. In fact, we have found ourselves following a number of antique dealer accounts on social media who ship pieces from all around the UK, that when combined with a building’s original features and style, help create a truly one-off proposition.
Many of your properties feature beautiful individual furniture items, how wide do you cast the net to find that perfect piece?
It has started to become part of our routine when putting together our initial design concepts. At Cliveden Place, due to a number of antique shops being closed, we turned to following trusted smaller suppliers on Instagram. We started off by tracking sporadic posts for individual items, but soon the suppliers started creating more structured processes and events where new pieces would be available. We spent several weeks following these ‘drops’ and negotiating the best price with the dealers to secure a selection of pieces that complemented the style of the apartment. This started off as being a means to end and adapting to the new situation brought forward by the pandemic, but it’s certainly something we will continue to do as you can find some really unique items.
And finally, what’s next for VOZA?
Our short-term goal is to continue to grow our relationships with our investors and clients to ensure they keep believing and trusting in our vision. Long-term, we would like to reach a position where we are joint investment partners in interesting projects that will further elevate VOZA Developments and its capabilities.
We’re delighted with our progress to date and everything we have been able to achieve as a business in our first years of operation. We love what we do day-to-day and we are fortunate enough to be selective with the projects we take on, something not every business can do.