Famella Building Contractors
Safety as part of their identity, not an afterthought
In London’s high-end residential market, it’s common to see bids undercut by cutting corners on Health & Safety. Famella won’t play that game.
Founded by Peter Carter in 1994 and now led by his son Tony, Famella blends 50 years of building experience with an architect’s eye for detail.
Tony still visits every site, and the company uses its own long-standing workforce. In a sector built on subcontractors, that’s rare.
It’s an approach that makes them directly answerable for the safety and wellbeing of their people.
Their reputation for safety is built on immaculate sites and meticulous standards.
A West London Square
Arts and Crafts House Kensington
As one private client put it:
I have never seen such attention to detail, such clean and tidy building sites more akin to an operating theatre.
That reputation is not built by accident. For Tony, family ownership means personal accountability: he puts his name on every job.
The Challenge
How do you keep a site safe when you’re digging out a double basement beneath a Victorian home or trying to refurbish a school in just six summer weeks?
Every project brings its own risks, like installing bespoke lift shafts in Georgian townhouses to intricate gallery spaces prepared for international artists.
With such variety, no off-the-shelf Health & Safety template will do. And with their direct workforce, Famella carry responsibilities many competitors outsource.
The business needed Health & Safety support as flexible and reliable as they are – someone who could step in project by project, adapt to each site’s needs, without the cost of a full-time internal team.
A Home in W2
RIBA Basement
St John’s Wood
The Partnership
Havio came highly recommended after Famella’s frustration with a previous consultancy.
Our adaptable, no-nonsense approach aligned with Tony’s outlook: guide, coach, and support – never police.
How we deliver for them is as important as what we do.
Over the past ten years, we’ve supported Famella in ways that are in step with how they work:
- Construction phase plans, fire risk assessments, and traffic management strategies
Complex projects like double basements and listed galleries need site-specific strategies that let their team work safely without slowing delivery. - Monthly site inspections and incident investigations
Regular inspections and quick responses to incidents give them confidence that standards are consistent across every site. - Principal Designer services for design-and-build contracts
Tony’s background in architecture means design detail matters.
Our Principal Designer role ensures safety is embedded from concept through to delivery, protecting both vision and execution. - Flexible, project-by-project consultancy
Famella’s workload shifts between high-end homes, schools, and cultural projects. We scale our support to fit – from intensive involvement on complex basements to lighter-touch advice on shorter refurbishments.
The Outcome
Famella have direct access to a senior consultant whenever they need it, backed by the rest of the team. They can get answers fast and keep moving on even the most demanding projects.
With Havio’s support, Famella has:
- Reduced minor accidents to virtually zero
- Strengthened their identity as a contractor known for immaculate, safe sites
- Maintained competitiveness in a market where safety is often sidelined
- Won increasingly prestigious projects across residential, cultural, and institutional sectors, including RIBA headquarters, Whitechapel Gallery, and Holland & Holland.
As one of Famella’s private clients put it:
Tony Carter runs a very tight ship. He does not tolerate sloppiness, confusion or dysfunctional actions.
And as Martin Pascoe, in-house architect at RIBA, added:
Famella have executed several projects within the Grade 1 Listed RIBA headquarters. Each was managed very efficiently and completed on-time and within budget. The quality of work and attention to detail was of an exceptionally high standard.
Safety helps shape Famella’s identity. It defines how they work and how their top-tier clients see them.
Our role is to safeguard the trust they have built.
Holland Park
