OUR WORK
C.A.S.P.A.R APARTMENTS – LEEDS: CITY CENTRE APARTMENTS FOR SINGLE PEOPLE AT AFFORDABLE RENTS
This Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s scheme in Leeds was set to prove that it is possible to develop an award-winning apartment block for the private-rented sector, then let it at below market rents and still make an attractive return on investment without any subsidy. The Leeds scheme was the second in a development blueprint programme called CASPAR – City-Centre Apartments for Single People at Affordable Rents. Architects Levitt Bernstein designed structure would boast larger than average 50m2 one-bedroom modular flats, comprised of some volumetric units, pre-fabricated by Potton Group offsite and semi-volumetric elements delivered flatpacked for assembly onsite by contractor Kajima, right in the centre of Leeds.
Following a super fast 36 week completion of the project, Atom Consultants’ Structural Engineers were called in to investigate signs of movement due to initial shrinkage of the timber in the pre-fabricated pods. The striking wood-framed curved building, which had won awards for sustainable design and innovation in low-cost urban housing, consisted of wooden walkways tilting towards the inner courtyard, suspended between a steel frame and the prefabricated apartment units. Due to the shrinkage of the timber in the pods the walkways begun to tilt towards the bedroom units. Our structural engineers were tasked with establishing whether the timber had stopped moving, hence we took 6 monthly readings and were able to confirm that the movement had substantially completed by end of year 1.
Meanwhile, further defects in the prefabricated pods were flagged up, namely leakages in the pipework and baths, leading to “spongy” floors. A few vacant flats were opened up for investigation, which led to further problems being discovered, such as inappropriate grade of flooring being used in the bedrooms, which was not in line with design requirement, as well as the stronger wall panels, intended for lower levels being used for upper floors.
All those issues could have been corrected, if only enough goodwill would have been applied. Let this case study be a force for good to remind people that good things can emerge from innovation, but it requires a mindset of unconditional nobility to persist in the face of adversity to develop excellence for all without financial advancement for a few only.
RESIDENTIAL:
” Atom Consultants have exhibited exceptional knowledge in the field of Modular Construction and this has been an immense assistance to Kajima in resolving many of the construction issues on CASPAR a venture into new methods of project delivery. “
Roy Marshall
Director
Kajima Construction
OTHER PROJECTS
Imperial College London- Central Library Service Riser
Following the recent refurbishment of the library, a Service Riser weighing 25 tonnes was designed by Atom Consultants for the Imperial College London.
Wakefield Cathedral Spire Survey- Wakefield, West-Yorkshire
Wakefield Cathedral spire’s condition had not been surveyed for more than 50 years. We undertook a drone survey to get up close and personal with both the tiles on the spire as well as the resident peregrine falcons.
Modular SIPS for School Buildings
Originally developed for the BSF school building programme and now targeted towards the PF2 schools, a range of modular wall panel products have been developed and successfully implemented on a number of school projects with Balfour Beatty.
Alcatel Submarine Networks- Greenwich, London
OUR WORK ALCATEL SUBMARINE NETWORKSGREENWICH, LONDON Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN) (now acquired by Nokia Networks) is the world’s only fully integrated provider of turnkey submarine network solutions . Since 1850s, ASN has been producing repeaters,...
The Hold- Suffolk Archives Heritage Center, Ipswich
OUR WORK THE HOLD-SUFFOLK ARCHIVES HERITAGE CENTER, IPSWICH The Hold, which is one of the 21 key delivery projects of the ‘Ipswich Vision’, should open its doors in time for the 900th anniversary of the Record Office’s oldest document in 2019. Located on the...
citizenM Tower of London Hotel
Smart and efficient: citizenM Tower of London Hotel does not disappoint.
Vauxhall Underground Station- London
The Vauxhall Underground Station modernisation is part of Transport for London’s ongoing investment into London’s public transport network to support economic growth and employment opportunities.
The £36m project entailed reconfiguration of the station’s ticket hall to accommodate extra ticket gates and wide-aisle gates, as well as the refurbishment of the stations’ subways, ticket hall and stairs. The main part of the project was to make the access to the station step-free, enabling the station to handle 40% more passengers by installing a new shaft and lift between the ticket hall and platforms. A particular challenge was posed by the station remaining fully operational while the construction work took place between 2014 and 2016.
Winton Primary School Sports Hall- London
The London Borough of Islington had a requirement for a new sports hall to be used out-of-hours by the local community and it was to be built on the roof of and existing school- Winton Primary School.
To minimise disruption to this ‘live’ site, a modular approach was adopted. All components of the build were pre-fabricated, starting from the structural steel wall and roof panels and ending with the beautiful western red cedar clad external facade.
Providence Tower, Providence Wharf – London’s Docklands
Providence Tower stands at a breath-taking 43 storeys and is the jewel in the crown of the New Providence Wharf development – a stunning riverside community in London’s Docklands. These premier river-view apartments have far-reaching views over the River Thames, being one of the tallest residential towers in London, and a sky-bar atop the building gives residents the ultimate vantage point thanks to 360 degrees of uninterrupted glazing.