Opal 4, Tufnell Park, London

The proposed Opal site in Islington

The proposed Opal site in Islington 

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Client

Opal Property Group

Project

Opal 4, Tufnell Park, London 

Value

£26.2m / €35m 

The proposed Opal site in Islington

Requirement:

Our client has commissioned a new residential building to accommodate over 550 students and key workers, consisting of a mix of cluster flats and studio rooms. The brief also includes the refurbishment of an existing halls of residence to form 145 studio bedrooms, which the new building will adjoin. The development is part of a significant investment intended to provide modern en suite accommodation for students and key workers in Islington. Completion is due in 2009.

Our solution

  • To improve timescales and make good use of budget, we used pre-fabricated bathroom pods, created in a controlled environment and cutting down significantly on construction time and making a real cost saving for our client.
  • Value engineering was key - as part of that we've made a significant impact on costs by reducing the need for beams. The overall impact of that is that we've saved the equivalent of a storey on the overall height of the building.
  • We worked as a team with the contractor to explore and select materials - we're utilising a pre-cast concrete frame solution for the ten storey structure, with full modularisation of the layout wherever possible.