Willmott Dixon first approached Buckingham Pools in April 2020 to enquire as part of the new retirement village development Homewood Grove by Rangeford Villages. Their purpose for Homewood Grove, located in the neighbourhood of Chertsey, Surrey, is to create a vibrant village setting with a thriving community of socially connected and independent retirees. 

Buckingham Pools were successfully appointed to carry out a fully managed Design and Build service for a bespoke wellness suite. The construction commenced in October 2022 and is now underway, comprising an indoor 12m x 5m pool, sauna, steam room and a feature shower. Our Contracts Manager Richard Sharman and his team of engineers faced the considerable challenge of adopting a reversed methodology with both shell construction and pipework installations. We were required to fix the pipeworks before building an encased shell within a ready-built concrete box by the main contractor (to hold large structural pillars). Reversing Buckingham Pools’ traditional building method meant our team was required to restructure an individualised programme around the existing box. Further, as a commercial project, the strict process prompted additional paperwork and an intrusive level of detail, impacting the scheduled timeframe. Nevertheless, the pipeworks effectively configured between the two bodies, the shell and the first fix, are now signed off for the next stage of render and screed. 

Howard Nankivell, the Chief Executive Officer at Rangeford Villages, said: “We are delighted to be working with trusted supplier Buckingham Pools, whose reputation for delivering and designing innovative and award-winning swimming pools, spas and wellness suites is perfectly aligned with Rangeford’s vision for creating a state-of-the-art wellbeing centre at our latest retirement village, Homewood Grove.” 

Buckingham Pools are delighted to be onboarded with the aspirational Rangeford Villages for this prestigious, Surrey-based project. We anticipate the completion of the wide-ranging facilities in mid-2023 to invite the over-60s transition into an enriched lifestyle.