Berkeley Place was founded by Nick Cryer in the summer of 2009, initially targeting independent schools and prestigious residential development opportunities. Very quickly, a number of high-quality residential construction and development opportunities followed. Since then we have successfully completed more than 300 projects. Our unique combination of skills, capabilities, knowledge and a track record of rapid growth results in more and more clients choosing Berkeley Place over the competition. We are a real estate and construction company specializing in rehabilitation and restoration projects of the highest quality. Based in Bristol and Bath, and in selected wider locations, we have particular expertise in restoring and refurbishing period and listed buildings, innovatively integrating historic details with contemporary fittings. At Berkeley Place we combine experience in the construction and property development fields with a “can’t do” attitude that provides professional, stress-free leadership in delivering construction that exceeds expectations.
Nick Cryer, the founder is a chartered engineer with over 30 years experience in property and construction. Starting on site in recruitment, Nick progressed into consultancy where he led high profile construction projects for some of the world’s leading property developers; Canary Wharf Group, Hammerson Plc and Lendlease, culminating in a position on the UK board of WSP Group Plc.
How/as BP is improving EPC ratings/Making homes more energy efficient
- Residential accommodation accounts for around a fifth of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions, most of which come from heating and hot water.
- If you care about the environment and want to play a part in achieving our climate change goals, embracing the climate agenda when you improve your property is simply the right thing to do.
- Investing in energy efficient home improvements will make a real difference to your carbon emissions, while making your home more comfortable and cheaper to run.
- At Berkeley Place we are looking to improve the EPC ratings on all our property renovations from an E rating to a B/A rating by making them more energy efficient.
Some of the ways we do this:
Updating the boiler and controls
- Installation of more efficient boilers.
- Depending on how old the boiler is, switching to a newer/condensing model can significantly improve your rating.
- Combining an upgraded boiler with upgrading heating systems and installing smart controls/radiator thermostatic valves can help save energy and improve the rating.
Windows:
- Around a fifth of the heat of a listed house can be lost through its windows.
- We tend to renew windows whenever possible, saving as much of the original window as possible.
- Start repairing and not replacing: in a sustainable way / preserve historic windows / more efficiently and with good value for money.
- Where possible: the use of slim (secondary) double glazing installed in the original timber windows provided a more authentic appearance while improving the thermal and sound installation.
- Draft protection in windows: draft protection insert.
Flats:
- Most older buildings have suspended wooden floors or solid floors finished with tiles or stone.
- Suspended wooden floors in properties cause significant heat loss, especially if there are large gaps in the floorboards that cause drafts.
- Wood floors can be insulated by lifting the floorboards and placing mesh-supported mineral wool insulation between the joists.
- Electric underfloor heating easy to install.
Walls and roof:
- Insulate the walls and ceiling.
- New insulation can be a very effective way to improve a low EPC rating score.
- Listed/period properties were built with solid brick walls as opposed to modern cavity wall properties, so solid wall insulation is a very effective way of improving the energy rating of a property.
- Solid wall insulation (interior and exterior) is considerably more expensive than cavity insulation, but will result in greater savings on heating bills.
- Avoid heat loss, protect against fire hazards and improve acoustic capabilities.
Lighting:
- Replacing old halogen or incandescent bulbs with light emitting diodes (LED) – Upgrading all lighting to LED bulbs.
- One of the easiest/fastest ways to improve a home’s energy efficiency.
- More energy efficient and ecological.
Overview:
- With the minimum threshold of EPC ratings to go back up to D or C in the coming years
- Increase in energy costs
- Combating climate change: less energy used to heat/feed homes, less emissions into the atmosphere.
- Listed and period properties are not designed with energy efficiency in mind, but they need to be now.
