Doors Open at Manchester’s Motel One

Motel One has launched its second hotel in the city, a development Elements Europe manufactured luxury Bathroom Pods for.

Elements Europe was awarded a contract by Russells Construction the main contractor, to manufacture and deliver 279 Bathroom Pods for the hotel which included 261 en-suite Bathroom Pods and 18 disabled access Bathroom Pods.

Known for its high end interior Motel One worked closely with Elements Europe to ensure the Bathroom Pods reflected this. The specification included granite worktops and counter top sinks alongside large walk in power showers and back to wall wc’s.

The construction was a unique development of a former building on Cross Street in the City centre. The vacant office accommodation was demolished and was replaced with a blend of modern and traditional maintaining the historic stone façade of the original building.

The successful delivery of this project reinforces Elements Europe’s strong working relationship with the Motel One hotel chain.

Bathroom Pod Install Complete at Plymouth Student Scheme

Pickstock Construction has completed the install of all 60 Bathroom Pods into Block B at Crescent Point Student Accommodation scheme in Plymouth.

The shape of Block B dictated that it was to be built traditionally with a concrete frame. Elements Europe’s Bathroom Pod solution was identified as a means to offer a modular solution thus speeding up the construction time on this block.

A Canti Deck system was utilised to place the Bathroom Pod into position amongst the concrete frame with help from the smaller of the two tower cranes on-site.

Block B is 10 storeys high and is the smaller of the two accommodation towers. Block A, 13 storeys high is the main tower and has benefited from a full modular solution with 349 Room Modules being installed to provide student rooms and shared kitchens. All corridor cassettes and roof cassettes were also manufactured and installed for the scheme.

Now all modules are installed the team can work towards completing the envelope of the building.

Launch of Apprenticeship Scheme

Elements Europe is preparing for a recruitment drive of apprentices.

The Human Resource Department has received over 200 applications for its apprenticeship programme at its production facility in Telford.

The apprenticeship scheme is a 1-2 year NVQ programme and covers all trades throughout the business including welders, painters, electricians, plumbers and tilers to name a few.

The HR department will whittle down the 200 plus applications to 100 and invite those to the production facility for an assessment day which will involve a team building exercise, as well as a tour of the facility and a small interview.

From the 100 that attend the day, 20 will be selected to enter onto the programme.

Michael Lloyd, HR Manager commented “The response has been phenomenal. Young people are really interested in the innovative nature of modular and the skills they can develop from this, it is certainly the future of construction and I think it is this that has driven applications”.

It has been noted in the industry that there is a skills gap in the construction industry in general. Elements Europe aims to continue to develop skills and knowledge in the modular construction industry and once apprenticeship schemes are completed aims to employ those on the scheme to a full time position in their areas of expertise.

Elements Europe’s aim is to have 5% of its work force either in training programmes or apprenticeship schemes in order to ensure ongoing development throughout the business.

Rapid Install of Room Modules at One of the UK’s First Modular Private Rented Schemes

Elements Europe is installing one floor of completed Room Modules per week at one of the UK’s first modular private rented schemes, Creekside Wharf in Greenwich.

Elements Europe are manufacturing and delivering 249 apartments to one of the UK’s tallest modular buildings.

Essential Living appointed Elements Europe as the modular manufacturer for the two towered 23 and 12 storey residential development in the heart of London.

The apartment types, of which there are 15, comprise of 2 or 3 room modules and offer plenty of space for families, featuring open plan living and dining areas.

The apartments are fitted to the highest standard featuring leading fixtures and fittings and modern amenities such as underfloor heating.

Elements Europe is manufacturing all of the 653 room modules as well as the balconies, light steel frame structure for the top floor, corridor and stair cassettes from their state of the art facility in the West Midlands.

The room modules will be installed at a rate of around 20 per week demonstrating just how much modular construction can reduce build program.

“One floor of completed Room Modules are being installed each week for this PRS residential scheme in London, this is the same rate at which a concrete frame is built” Commented Simon Underwood, Managing Director at Elements Europe.

The offsite manufacturing process reduces the overall construction period by six months ensuring Essential Living can bring forward much needed homes for rent far faster than if they had used solely traditional construction methods.

Modular construction has been at the focal point of industry discussions as a possible solution to the UK’s housing shortage due to the speed of delivery, reduction in on-site labour and waste and faster return on investment for developers.

“We have had several discussions with industry leaders further to Theresa May’s white paper in which Greenwich features underpinning the government’s support for modular construction as a means of increasing productivity to the residential housing sector.”

“Off-site construction brings a number of benefits for developers, giving them the chance to earn rental income sooner, reduce energy bills and refurbish the buildings more easily which is crucial for long term investors.” Added Underwood.

Modular construction could be part of the answer to UK’s housing shortage. The Build Show surveyed 230 house builders 67% of those thought offsite construction will play a key role in the delivery of new homes purely due to the speed in which they can deliver cutting build programs significantly.