01
FAÇADE
Façade
Rendered, masonry and decorative façades, crack treatment, surface preparation and restoration of architectural elements.
OCTAGON WORKS
BUILDING REFURBISHMENT
REFURBISHMENT / 01
FAÇADE · BUILDING ENVELOPE · REFURBISHMENT
Buildings with a past.
Refurbishment with a system.
Coordinated refurbishment of urban and character buildings — from façade and structural interventions to roof details, waterproofing, windows, specialist trades and final quality control.
01
BEYOND THE VISIBLE SURFACE
The façade is only
The façade is only
one part of the building.
A durable refurbishment begins with understanding why the building has deteriorated.
Existing structures, façade details, water exposure, roof junctions, flashings, windows and technical systems influence one another. They therefore need to be assessed and delivered as one coordinated building system.
OCTAGON WORKS
CONTROLLED REFURBISHMENT
COMPLETE BUILDING ENVELOPE / 01—06
One building.
One building.
One coordinated system.
Long-term performance depends on more than the finish. Façade, structure, roof, drainage, openings and architectural details must work together — technically and visually.
02
STRUCTURE
Structure
Local structural interventions, concrete repair, masonry strengthening and corrosion-related remedial works.
03
ROOF
Roof & metalwork
Roof junctions, flashings, parapets, sheet-metal details and interfaces affecting the external envelope.
04
WATER
Water protection
Waterproofing, rainwater drainage, moisture-sensitive junctions and details exposed to long-term weathering.
05
OPENINGS
Windows & doors
Replacement or refurbishment of windows and doors with coordinated sill, flashing and façade interfaces.
06
DETAIL
Architectural details
Stone, metalwork, cornices, railings, parapets and character-defining elements integrated into the refurbishment strategy.
02 / CONTROLLED REFURBISHMENT
The work begins long before
the first surface is opened.
the first surface is opened.
SURVEY / STRATEGY / DELIVERY
Understand first.
Understand first.
Intervene second.
Existing buildings rarely contain only one isolated defect. Visible deterioration may be connected to water ingress, movement, failed junctions, ageing materials or previous interventions. The refurbishment strategy therefore begins with the building's actual condition.
01
Existing condition
02
Technical risks
03
Repair methodology
04
Site organisation
BEFORE WE INTERVENE / 01—04
Before work begins,
Before work begins,
the building has to be understood.
Existing buildings rarely contain isolated defects. Visible deterioration often has deeper technical causes, so the refurbishment strategy begins with understanding the condition, risks and interfaces of the building.
01
CONDITION
Condition survey
Review of visible defects, cracking, moisture exposure, deterioration, previous repairs and character-defining details.
DEFECTS
MOISTURE
DETAILS
02
RISK
Technical risks
Interfaces, drainage, failed flashings, structural movement and hidden conditions are reviewed before defining the intervention.
JUNCTIONS
WATER
STRUCTURE
03
METHOD
Repair strategy
Repair methods, material systems and work sequences are selected according to the actual condition and architectural requirements of the building.
METHOD
MATERIALS
SEQUENCE
04
LOGISTICS
Site organisation
Scaffolding, access, material movement, occupied-building constraints and specialist trade sequences are planned before mobilisation.
ACCESS
SAFETY
PHASING
03 / EXISTING BUILDING
The visible defect
is rarely the whole problem.
is rarely the whole problem.
CONDITION → CAUSE → INTERVENTION
Repair the cause.
Repair the cause.
Not only the surface.
Cracking, staining, moisture and surface deterioration often originate from failed junctions, water ingress, structural movement or ageing materials. A durable refurbishment requires the cause and the visible symptom to be treated together.
01
Cracks & movement
02
Moisture & water ingress
03
Failed junctions
04
Material deterioration
MATERIALS & SYSTEMS / 01—08
Materials selected
Materials selected
for the building.
Material choice is part of the technical strategy. Compatibility with the existing substrate, exposure, appearance and long-term maintenance all influence the final specification.
04 / MATERIAL STUDY
The right system depends
on the existing building.
on the existing building.
01
Render & plaster
02
Natural stone
03
Artificial stone
04
Brick & masonry
05
Metalwork
06
Timber windows & doors
07
Sheet metal & flashings
08
Waterproofing systems
05 / SITE CONTROL
CONTROLLED DELIVERY
Technical decisions
Technical decisions
continue on site.
Existing buildings can reveal conditions that were not visible during preparation. Site inspections, trade coordination and documented decisions are therefore part of the refurbishment process throughout delivery.
REFURBISHMENT PROCESS / 01—05
From existing condition
From existing condition
to controlled handover.
Existing-building projects require decisions in the right order. Survey, technical preparation, mobilisation, construction and handover are managed as connected stages of one refurbishment process.
01
SURVEY
Survey
Existing condition, visible defects, critical junctions and project constraints are reviewed before defining the scope.
CONDITION
RISKS
SCOPE
02
PREPARATION
Preparation
Repair methods, materials, specialist trades, site access and work sequence are coordinated before mobilisation.
METHOD
LOGISTICS
PLAN
03
MOBILISATION
Mobilisation
Scaffolding, protection, site logistics and temporary access systems are established for controlled delivery.
ACCESS
PROTECTION
SAFETY
04
DELIVERY
Construction
Specialist trades are coordinated with continuous technical review of interfaces and newly uncovered conditions.
TRADES
CONTROL
DETAILS
05
HANDOVER
Handover
Final inspections, defect resolution and documentation close the refurbishment in a controlled manner.
INSPECT
CLOSE
HANDOVER
06 / URBAN REFURBISHMENT
Construction around
everyday life.
everyday life.
OCCUPIED & URBAN BUILDINGS
The building may remain
The building may remain
part of everyday life.
Refurbishment in dense urban environments requires more than construction. Access, residents, tenants, pedestrian areas, deliveries, noise, temporary protections and specialist trades all need to be coordinated.
01
Resident & tenant access
02
Pedestrian protection
03
Delivery & material movement
04
Phased construction
05
Temporary protections
07
QUALITY CONTROL
Quality is controlled
Quality is controlled
before it disappears.
Many of the most important refurbishment details are no longer visible after completion.
Junctions, substrate preparation, waterproofing, anchors, flashings and concealed interfaces are therefore reviewed during construction — not only at final handover.
01
Substrate preparation
02
Critical junctions
03
Concealed works
04
Final inspection
OCTAGON WORKS
DOCUMENTED CONTROL
FAQ / BUILDING REFURBISHMENT
Before the project
Before the project
begins.
The questions that most often arise before façade and existing-building refurbishment projects.
OCTAGON WORKS
REFURBISHMENT
01 Can you work on occupied buildings? +
Yes, depending on the building and project requirements.
Access, protection, logistics and construction phases
are planned around the operation of the property.
02 Can the façade be refurbished without full building renovation? +
In many cases yes, but roof edges, flashings, drainage,
windows and structural defects may need to be reviewed
where they influence the façade.
03 What is needed for an initial proposal? +
Building address, available drawings, photographs,
known defects and a short description of the intended scope
are useful starting points.
04 Is scaffolding included in the project planning? +
Site access, scaffolding requirements, protections
and logistics are considered as part of the construction organisation.
05 Can windows and roof details be included? +
Yes. Windows, doors, flashings, parapets,
drainage and related building-envelope details can be
coordinated within the refurbishment scope.
06 What happens if hidden defects are discovered? +
The condition is documented and reviewed before the affected
work proceeds. The required technical response can then be
coordinated with the relevant project participants.
07 Do you undertake complete building refurbishment? +
Depending on the project scope, façade works can be coordinated
together with structural, interior and specialist construction works.
08 Where do you undertake refurbishment projects? +
Project location is evaluated together with
the technical scope, site requirements and necessary coordination.
START A REFURBISHMENT PROJECT
08
A better refurbishment
starts before construction.
Send us the building information, available documentation, photographs and known technical issues. We will review the project and the appropriate next step.
Discuss your project
OCTAGON WORKS / BUILDING REFURBISHMENT