The Churchill Development in Estonia

After advertising four different developments in Estonia and taking millions of pounds in deposits, these three wooden quads are all that were ever actually built. This photograph was taken at Takhuranna in Febuary 2009 (click on the picture to enlarge). To quote the photographer: "They are all incomplete and should ideally be pulled down as they create a real eyesore".

Nonetheless Churchills actually completed on at least two of these flats. One investor payed out £40K for one of them, but was never even given the deeds or keys. She is simply left with paying the local land tax, and a loss of a huge sum of money.

Here are the comments of a qualified architect on the design of the quads:

"I am very sorry to tell you but these drawings and spec look awful.
1) anybody has access to the roof terrace - no privacy, anybody can just go there while you’re asleep or away
2) the roof terraces are the most unimaginative spaces I’ve ever seen - no consistency in materials, weird shape, column right in the middle of it - nobody will ever use them (especially since the apartments appear to be 1 beds - much too large a space for a couple to spend a romantic evening up there), also since you can’t keep anything of any value up there (see 1)
3) the layout of the bungalow doesn’t make any sense to me: an entrance space as large as the (presumed) bedroom, 3 small rooms - bathrooms? Storage rooms? None of them anywhere near the bedroom, and lastly you are left with a space (kitchen & sitting room?) in an absolute weird shape - quite obviously nothing more but left- over space. Very deep, on top of that, the back of this ’room’ will be very dark. I don’t understand what this layout is for. Definitely not suitable for a holiday flat in my opinion.
4) I don’t understand why they are bungalows, a two-storey building for example would at least create the opportunity for the roof terrace being populated
5) There is no information on the surrounding, how these buildings will relate to each other, what kind of organizational system (roads, pathways leading up to front doors, car parking, rubbish bins, front gardens, terraces, closeness of neighbouring buildings, number of neighbouring buildings etc) will tie the place together
6) Exterior material seems to be wood - how is this going to be maintained?
7) Plans, Spec and rendering appear to having been done by a first year student - I have never in my life come across a description such as ‘Appendix 1’, any professional practice would provide detail drawings of the joints/ wall build-ups instead of vaguely describing them!
8) The provided information lacks detail - if construction is due to begin in may (day after tomorrow) this is either worrying (presuming these are the latest drawings) since they are nowhere near a level which could be realised, or more worrying (presuming these are not the latest drawings, but the only ones issued for the client to see), since this would mean the developer deliberately withholds information of which he fears the client would not be satisfied. You need to find out whether there is more detailed information available."