29 CASE STUDY
The Apex of offsite construction
Apex House, a 29-storey student accommodation scheme in Wembley, stands tall as Europe’s highest modular tower yet built, demonstrating the reach now possible using offsite systems.
Wembley, London is a student accommoda- tion scheme developed by Tide Construction and Vision Modular Systems. Apex House is made up of 679 modules,
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delivering over 580 rooms that will be ready for students to move into by September. The development will also include commu- nal facilities, such as a cinema and an outdoor courtyard. Each module is manufactured at Vision's
factory in Bedford, where the furniture, windows, electrical wiring and plumbing are all installed before the modules are transported 60 miles to the site in Wembley. Vision Modular Systems’ manufacturing
process uses a controlled assembly line environment, manned by skilled operatives who are supported by quality control and technical guidance personnel. Automated production lines transfer the
modules through the manufacturing process where all internal finishes, M&E installations, windows, external insulation and some external finishes are applied. The units are built using integrated structural steel framing with solid concrete floors. Christy Hayes, chief executive officer at
Tide Construction, said she was “delighted” at recent government support for offsite construction. Hayes detailed the benefits of the
THE FURNITURE, WINDOWS, ELECTRICAL WIRING AND PLUMBING WERE ALL INSTALLED BEFORE THE MODULES WERE TRANSPORTED 60 MILES TO THE SITE
process: “Modular construction provides a much faster alternative to traditional construction, without compromising on the quality of the building or the versatility of the design. Modular produces 80 per cent less waste, requires fewer onsite workers and provides certainty of cost and time.” Apex House’s total build time was 12
months, with the modules being stacked to a height of 90 metres in just 13 weeks. The project was designed by architects HTA Design LLP and will be managed by student housing operator Scape. The build- ing has a BREEAM rating of Excellent. Rory Bergin, partner at HTA Design
urope’s tallest modular tower has seen its final module lowered into place. The 29 storey structure in
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