Eznat eyes commercial sector as relocation brings expansion

Joe Bvumburai at Eznat’s new office.

A COMPANY which was set up as a specialist in designing social housing projects is expanding into the commercial and industrial sector after taking on staff and relocating into a new business centre.

Joe Bvumburai, Director of Eznat, said the company is involved in projects which will provide nearly 200 homes across the Yorkshire and Humber region. It has also branched out into the office sector with a substantial development near Leeds, and it is strengthening its commercial partnerships following a move to the One Business Village in Hull.

Joe said: “Our background is in housing associations and we specialise in extra care housing, but our work in that sector in West Yorkshire led to our involvement in planning a new office development and our move into a mainstream business environment is introducing us to new opportunities.”

Joe, a chartered architect, launched Eznat in 2010 having previously held senior development roles with housing associations across the UK. Earlier this year he relocated from The Enterprise Centre at the University of Hull to become one of the first tenants at One Business Village, which is being converted from the old Interbulk depot in Emily Street, Hull.

Current projects include more than 160 homes at three sites in West Yorkshire, a development which will create 11 executive homes near Grimsby and work on two smaller housing sites in East Hull.

The feasibility study for an office development on the outskirts of Leeds is a rare foray for Eznat into commercial work, and more will follow as the team expands.

Joe’s housing association experience included nine years with Yorkshire Housing and resulted in projects including the award-winning, eco-friendly Primrose Hill development in Huddersfield.

He also worked for Sanctuary Housing and Anchor Trust on projects including affordable housing and specialist housing for elderly people and for people with special needs. Joe’s first client at Eznat was the Abbeyfield Society.

He said: “At Yorkshire Housing we did about 450 properties a year with an average of around 25 per site. We are experienced in creating and managing high level relationships with local authorities, consultants and contractors throughout Yorkshire who help us complete projects.

“We’re very active in West Yorkshire but we are also being invited to take on more work in the Hull and Humber region. We have expanded our team to three and I’m now working towards appointing an architect and an architectural technician.

“As part of the office move we have invested in technology to increase productivity, and now we are meeting potential new partners and finding new projects. Some of those are about extra care housing, because bed blocking is a key issue for the NHS and there needs to be greater provision, but others are commercial projects which result from talking to other businesses about how to build to accommodate expansion.”