PRIDE LIFE TALKED TO ROSIE NESBITT, SALES AND MARKETING DIRECTOR AT FABRICA
Is there a typical FABRICA home? Our pedigree at FABRICA is based on delivering a diverse mix of homes that cater for a breadth of buyers. However, I would say that all FABRICA properties are unified by a genuine attention to detail, attractive architecture, intelligently arranged interiors and the highest possible specification. Is there a typical buyer of a FABRICA home? Again, because we build in response to what a local market demands, the purchasers at each of our developments can be very different. As a boutique development, The Chroma Buildings has attracted purchasers who desire a central London location, yet the utmost in privacy. Equally, City Wharf, which is situated on the City Fringe, has attracted many finance professionals who can take advantage of walking to work. Having said that, we have had much interest from the Creative industries too, given the scheme’s proximity to the start-ups of Tech City.
I would say that the majority of our buyers are characterised by discerning tastes, a penchant for a stylish, contemporary design and easy access to the best that the local area has to offer. Buying and moving into a new home is one of the most stressful things you can do. How does FABRICA make the process easier? Our aim is to make the buying process run as smoothly as possible and we support our buyers throughout the entire process. Once a purchaser exchanges contracts, they are assigned a dedicated Quality & Aftercare Project Manager who keeps them updated on everything to do with the purchase, and is on hand to discuss any questions a purchaser might have about their new home.
Before move in day, we will ensure it is in immaculate condition; and when the day finally arrives for a purchaser to move in, their dedicated Quality & Aftercare Project Manager will welcome them to their new home to hand over the keys and answer any last minute queries. What buying options does FABRICA offer? We offer a range of homes across London and the South East, for private sale and shared ownership. From luxury penthouses to beautiful rural houses to perfectly formed starter homes, we offer a range of products to suit a wide audience. Whatever the situation, there are a number of options and flexibility to ensure our customers are able to find the perfect home. Do you also offer properties for private rental? Beautifully furnished, new rental properties in our developments across London and the South East will become available later this year. Where are most of your developments located? The majority of our developments are in the South East of England, with a significant proportion in London. The Chroma Buildings is in Southwark; City Wharf is off City Road, between Islington and Old Street. Other key locations include Hammersmith, Ealing, West Hampstead, Oxfordshire and West Sussex. How are these sites selected? It varies from location to location. Each FABRICA development is developed with the potential customer in mind. When seeking out potential land opportunities we research the demographic and target market extensively to establish whether the opportunity fits with our strategy as a business. Throughout the development process we expand on and develop this research to enable us to design the right product for our purchasers.
Our land strategy is focused across London and the South East, which are the areas we know best as a business having developed in these areas for 70 years. Our developments can be vastly different in size and design depending on the area. Our main objective when we are looking for land is to establish whether it will appeal to our potential purchasers. An example of this might be whether the site has good transport links, local amenities and outdoor space. How closely do you work alongside architects in designing FABRICA homes? We have a set of design principles that tie into our brand beliefs and we ensure that these are relayed to all the architects we work with on our schemes. We are passionate about the detail and want to ensure that every home we create is meticulously designed and skilfully produced. As soon as we acquire a site, we consider its history, who might live there and how they might like to live. This influences everything we do from a design perspective, not only with the interior and exterior design of the scheme with the architects, but also the amenities on site, the landscape strategy and scheme’s brand identity.
We are dedicated to inspired design and keep abreast of design trends and innovative products that could be incorporated into our future developments to ensure we have a competitive edge, making us the first choice for our purchasers. We don’t just take inspiration from the residential sector, we continuously review and benchmark ourselves against the hospitality and retail industries to ensure our developments are constantly evolving. In creating your new developments what consideration do you give to the environment? We are committed to reducing the environmental impact of building. We want to improve lives by building thoughtfully designed homes, and while we focus on creating the best homes today, we also value the needs of future generations. We’re very conscious of where we build — the locations we choose are carefully considered, and we make the most of the available land while not disrupting the existing surroundings. We build 95% of our homes on brownfield land and choose sites with social, educational and transport infrastructure already in place.
We employ specialist staff who advise us and our customers on how to be more green. We’ll talk you through how to make the most out of technologies in your home that are designed to improve sustainability, such as water saving methods, communal energy or intermittent heating systems. We are always on the lookout for new ways to make your home more energy efficient, which will not only help our planet, but also save our residents money.
We are a member of the Sustainable Homes Index For Tomorrow (SHIFT), the UK housing sector’s independent sustainability benchmarking and best practice learning network. We currently hold a Silver accreditation. What exciting new developments do you have planned for the future? Jigsaw will be launching in Autumn 2015 – a development designed by award-winning Conran and Partners, one of British design’s most pioneering architect, interiors and design studios.
“The majority of our buyers are characterised by
discerning tastes, a penchant for a stylish, contemporary design and easy access to the best
that the local area has to offer”