The project was to provide 528 high-quality student residences, which incorporates an on-site management team and a secure environment, including CCTV and a secure entry point on the ground floor reception area.
The building was designed to enable all the bedrooms to be constructed off-site as prefinished pods. To enable the pods to be justified structurally, stair cores and a concrete transfer deck were constructed, providing a secure platform and anchorage points for the modules. The modules were lifted into place by two tower cranes with floors between the modules inserted and fixed prior to the next level being positioned. The only exception to this was the ground floor bedrooms, with the toilet pods being constructed offsite and the bedrooms being traditionally constructed around them. An additional 36 kitchens were also traditionally constructed within the core areas.
The building varies from 6 to 11 floors. The ground floor slab has been designed to have higher ceiling than the other floors, which allows more glazing for natural light into the communal areas, such as the common room and reception area. Green roofs were also installed to emphasise the green credentials of the building and comply with planning stipulations. RG Group delivered on all the programme targets required by Unite, which has allowed the building to be used to accommodate Unite staff who will be providing accommodation services to the worlds press, media, Olympic officials.
