Multi-Million Pound Off-Site Contract for Berkeley Homes

Berkeley Homes has appointed Elements Europe to manufacture and install 461 student bedrooms comprising 604 modules over five storeys.

The new student accommodation scheme is situated in the historic spa city of Bath on a redevelopment site of a former derelict residential care home, at a key gateway to Bath city centre and is in a perfect location for student accommodation.

Neville Golding, Surveying Manager of Berkeley Homes (Oxford & Chiltern) Ltd added: “This is an extremely exciting project in the centre of a historic city and we look forward to working closely with Elements Europe to deliver a development of exceptional quality and functionality.”

Working alongside architects Stride Treglown, Elements Europe’s design team has assisted in the design to ensure the highest level of specification.

Elements Europe will manufacture three types of bedrooms. The first, a study bedroom offering students an en-suite bathroom with sleeping and study area within a cluster flat environment, sharing a communal kitchen and dining area with up to 11 students.

A studio room, which features a kitchenette facility, study and sleeping area as well as an en-suite bathroom giving students their very own private facilities in one room. The third type of room, the twodio room is designed to have double occupancy for friends or partners that wish to share one studio room.

All Room Modules will be manufactured with Georgian sash windows to fit in with Bath’s local vernacular. The building will also replicate Bath’s architecture, achieved by the use of Bath stone on the external façade.

Entrance doors are at street level with stone steps and iron rails leading to the stone arched entrance doors. Stone columns feature on the entrance to the retail space that will take up part of the ground floor and the building also incorporates fabricated chimneys to further replicate Bath’s historic buildings.

With Berkeley Homes now on-site, Elements Europe will start manufacture in August 2014. The first volumetric units will be installed in January 2015, with the accommodation set to open in time for the September 2016 intake.

Elements Europe’s Sales Director Kevin Arthur said “We are extremely excited to be involved in a project of this scale and importance, particularly working alongside a company of Berkeley Homes’ stature.  This is an important redevelopment site for the city of Bath and will offer the highest quality of student accommodation.”

Elements Europe gives Lecture to JMU Students

This week, Elements Europe welcomed eight students from Ghana who are studying at John Moores University (JMU) School of the Built Environment for one year as part of their Construction Management course.

The students are studying sustainable and modern methods of construction as key modules in their course. Elements Europe was therefore a perfect company to visit to enhance their understanding of the subjects.

Kevin Arthur, Sales Director for Elements Europe presented the fundamentals of off-site building systems to the students. Focusing on its advantages, what sectors it is most suited to, the factory process and its application on-site. Kevin also presented key projects that Elements Europe has been involved in noting the varying aspects.

Kevin commented “It was a pleasure lecturing to the students. Being a former student at the JMU School of the Built Environment myself I know just how important it is to be able to get out into companies in the industry to learn more.” Kevin added “I hope that the students have gone away understanding the principles of off-site construction.”

Students were given a tour of Elements Europe’s design department and factory showing them first-hand how the off-site manufacturing process works from design through to a fully complete Room Pod.

Paul Kenny, lecturer of Construction Management at JMU commented “We would like to thank Elements Europe for their informative session with our students today, this will certainly contribute towards a far better understanding of modern methods of construction.”

The School of the Built Environment at Liverpool John Moores University is one of the leading providers of teaching, learning and business focused research in the UK. The School caters for the needs of government, industry, local communities and professional practice by providing courses in: Architectural Technology, Building Services Engineering, Building Surveying, Civil Engineering, Construction Management, Environmental Planning, Facilities Management, Quantity Surveying and Real Estate Management.