Three £600k ‘super homes’ with AI security and heating systems to be DEMOLISHED leaving owners devastated
THREE £600,000 'super homes' with artificial intelligence security and heating are being demolished after failing a building inspection.
The luxury homes in Cambridge were to have the AI systems installed to control settings, including lighting.
But inspectors said the steel frames of the partially-built properties failed building standards and deemed them unsafe.
Now the three detached homes are being razed to the ground before being rebuilt by a new contractor.
Buyers face months of delays, but the original contractors have disputed condemnation of their building work.
The houses are part of a 14-home development called Cityglades.
David Lewis, chief executive of county council-owned homebuilder This Land, said that buyers of the homes had been informed of the need to rebuild.
Mr Lewis added: "A number of issues relating to the steel frames of three homes were identified during construction."This Land Limited has undertaken enquiries into those issues, including commissioning independent chartered surveys.
"As a result of these investigations, This Land Limited has reached the decision that the steel frames do not meet its quality standards and it has therefore concluded that they will need to be rebuilt.
"The contractor who designed and built the steel frames on the three houses has had its contract terminated and this is now the subject of legal proceedings."
The houses were part of a county council-led development consisting of two-, three- and four-bed properties.
'UNIQUE'
A promotional brochure describes the Cityglades homes as "truly unique" and says they will feature artificial intelligence to control heating, lighting and security.
The other 11 homes were unaffected by the steel-frame issues.
Mr Lewis declined to share the cost of the rebuild.
He added that This Land was looking for a new contractor to rebuild the houses "in due course".
But contractors from Hadham Construction, which built and installed steel frames for three of the homes, have denied any wrongdoing.
A spokesperson for the firm, which was established in 2013, claimed that it was owed £250,000 for the work and said that it will challenge Cambridgeshire County Council in pending legal proceedings.
They added: "There have been two independent investigations into the structure and installation of these three houses and both have stated that the houses are perfectly capable of completion by HCL to the required standard to obtain full warranties.
"Various approaches have been made to This Land Ltd but no response has been received whether to company letters or solicitor's letters."
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