UK-based offsite specialist, Premier Modular, has delivered a £2.6m contract to provide a bespoke, sustainable higher education facility at Canada Water in London.
Occupied by The Engineering and Design Institute London (TEDI-London), the building is the first phase of a new modular campus for research and development.
The new facility was designed and built in just nine months – in time for the first cohort of students.
Designed by architects Hawkins\Brown, the building will be in use for the next seven years to allow British Land to work with TEDI-London to develop a permanent home for its students within the Canada Water masterplan.
The Canada Water masterplan is a 53-acre regeneration scheme which is owned in a 50:50 joint venture by leading UK property company, British Land and AustralianSuper, Australia’s biggest profit-to-member pension fund.
The masterplan will deliver a new town centre for London including around 3,000 homes, alongside a mix of commercial, retail and community space. TEDI-London is a new engineering higher education enterprise founded by three global universities – Arizona State University, King’s College London, and UNSW Sydney.
David Walters, Programme Director at British Land, said: “The partnership between Premier and Hawkins\Brown continues to work exceptionally well and has definitely added value to the project.
“We can utilise all the benefits of offsite – speed, less impact on the environment, ease of expansion, and less disruption – whilst creating a high-quality education facility which looks fantastic.”
‘Important environmental benefits’
The use of modern methods of construction (MMC) on the project has also bought important environmental benefits, said David Harris, Managing Director of Premier Modular.
These benefits include zero waste to landfill during construction, the ability to dismantle the structure for re-use or recycling, low energy LED lighting with PIR sensors, highly efficient heating and cooling using air source heat pumps, and mechanical heat recovery ventilation.
The modules were engineered to create a large double span exhibition, events, and cafeteria space. There are four large ‘makerspaces’ for practical learning, viewing galleries, smaller conference-style meeting and teaching rooms, a full-height glazed entrance, offices and student common room.
Services in the ceiling are exposed to allow students to understand the complexities of the building as part of their learning experience.
Andrew Tindale, Associate at Hawkins\Brown, said: “This project has been a huge success and we love the finished building.
“It has really brought a brownfield site to life and has created significant social value and a sense of community. This is a welcoming, safe, and inspiring learning environment that TEDI-London and its students can be genuinely proud of.”
Image: TEDI-London facility (Credit: Premier Modular)
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