Toynbee Associates

We provide considered and economical structural design solutions for your loft project. If you are looking for something unique then we can work with your chosen designers in partnership to develop the designs to achieve something amazing.

We have worked as basement conversion specialists all over London and in the home counties, providing clear and concise engineering designs to meet your design aspirations. Toynbee Associates understands the issues of excavating and tunnelling below an existing building or an open excavation and the challenges that this brings up.

Working with your designers we can provide the planning reports, basement conversions, permanent works design and details. We can work with you throughout the Party Wall Process, dealing with reviewing engineers and providing temporary works design, movement monitoring specifications and other reports as required to get you to the site.

We have worked closely with numerous designs and building contractors over the years and understand the issues of excavating and tunnelling below an existing building, understanding how they build and working with them to produce a design that is both buildable and cost-effective.

We provide considered and economical temporary works designs for your project to keep the construction works on site going. With our knowledge and working closely with the contractor, we can reduce construction time and overall programme; along with the associated costs that come with that.

We work alongside our clients, their design professionals and contractors to find cost-effective and practical design solutions, and you can rely on our collaborative, approachable work ethic for every project.

Basement Impact Assessments (BIAs) are crucial in the planning permission process for Basement Conversions. Toynbee Associates is dedicated to providing comprehensive BIAs in the boroughs of:
Camden
Kensington and Chelsea,
Hammersmith and Fulham
Lambeth
Richmond
Merton

Ensuring your project meets regulatory standards and reducing the potential impacts on your neighbouring properties.

BIAs are essential as they evaluate the potential effects of basement conversions on various aspects, such as structural stability of your building and your neighbours building, flood risk, and feasibility of the constructing a basement below your property.

Are you purchasing a property? Has something come up in your house buyers survey that requires a structural survey or structural engineer? We would be more than happy to help, we will carry out a site visit where we can inspect your new home and provide initial verbal feedback on the issues referred to in the previous survey, followed by a written report covering the main issues and any remedial works required.

Do you have a structural issue with your property or have you recently noticed some movement or cracking that you feel is getting worse? As chartered structural engineers we can visit your property to carry out an inspection of the affected areas and provide our opinion on what is causing the issues. This can be used to validate a claim with your insurers or simply provide you with the information you need to know how to tackle the issue.

In some cases, other professionals may need to be appointed and we will advise on this at the time of our site visit.

Whether you are planning to carry out works to your property which may affect your neighbours, or you have been served a Party Wall notice by your neighbours, we are here to help. We provide free no-obligation advice in both cases and can advise you of your rights and obligations under the Party Wall Etc Act 1996.

As the Building Owners’ Surveyor, once appointed to act for you, we will prepare the required notices, compile the drawings and issue the notices promptly. If you have all the required information this can be done within 24 hours of receiving your instruction to proceed

As the Adjoining Owners’ Surveyor once appointed to act for you, our party wall notice experts will respond to the notices served and deal with all matters required under the Act keeping you informed at all times.

The most detailed of our property surveys is an RICS Level 3 Building Survey. The Building Survey provides you with a thorough assessment of your property’s structure, condition, and construction and technical advice on any required repairs.

A RICS survey is carried out by a qualified surveyor from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. This guarantees that all surveys adhere to a globally recognised standard. These surveys provide you, the client, with information on the condition and value of a property. We offer RICS level 2 and RICS level 3 surveys.

As Registered Valuers under the RICS guidelines, we can provide you with “Red Book” valuations. A Red book valuation is a valuation that follows RICS’s global standard for providing accurate valuations on properties. This means our valuation is of the highest standard and follows internationally accepted standards.

The courts require expert evidence that involves property-related matters, most frequently valuation, but also boundary disputes and defective building work.

Reports are required to be compliant with the Lord Chancellor’s Civil Procedures Rules (CPR 35), the latest amendment to which came into force on 31st May 2021. Expert witness reports have to be prepared by an individual; we prepare reports for both claimants and defendants either as a single joint expert or party-appointed expert. Reports must be impartial; our first duty is to the court. From time to time, we attend court and give evidence, but on many occasions, after a thorough review of the situation, we can provide advice that results in a settlement being negotiated between the parties.

If the matter goes to court, the court will want to know the relevant qualifications and experience of the expert so that it can weigh up its authority. There are many instances of an ‘expert’ witness being challenged and being embarrassed for a response. It is a false economy to employ an expert witness based on cost.