SIG Offsite - PLACE/Ladywell
Project Details
Project - PLACE/Ladywell, Lewisham, South East London
Client - Lewisham Council
Architect - Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners
Project Overview
Grand Felda House is a 22,3A pioneering offsite construction solution from leading European building materials supplier SIG has allowed the creation of a moveable housing development in Lewisham, South East London.
Situated on the former site of the Ladywell Leisure Centre, which was demolished in 2014, the PLACE/Ladywell scheme was designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, and constructed by SIG for Lewisham Council.
Created in order to provide local families with much-needed accommodation, one of PLACE/Ladywell's key features is its moveable design, which will allow the units to be transported to other sites once long-term solutions are put in place in its current location. By taking a volumetric approach, SIG was able to construct the development quickly and to a high standard, almost immediately meeting urgent housing demand in the area.
The eye-catching development provides high-quality accommodation for 24 social rent families on its upper floors, while the ground floor offers commercial and community spaces, including an indoor market, café and film screening room, as well as networking spaces, which were requested by nearly a third of local business owners who were consulted during the design stage.
By utilising offsite manufacturing, SIG was able to ensure that the client was provided with the best possible standards while minimising costs, a key consideration on public sector projects. This saw the installation of units at a far faster rate - and a much lower cost - than would have been the case when utilising traditional construction methods, without affecting quality.
In addition, SIG was also able to create the units with high levels of air tightness, plus thermal and acoustic insulation, helping to minimise thermal loss and so reducing the expense of heating bills. The acoustic insulation also enhances residents' comfort by limiting the travel of sound between the commercial and residential properties.
Speaking on the project, Chris Slezakowski, Innovation Director at SIG, said: "The UK's housing shortage is a well-known issue, and it's vital that we look to modern methods of construction to overcome this.
"By using offsite manufacture at PLACE/Ladywell we not only met the client's requirements of a high-quality, moveable structure, but also helped to improve project efficiency, with factory-controlled manufacturing conditions removing the obstacle of adverse weather conditions on site."
Andrew Partridge, Associate Partner at Roger Stirk Harbour + Partners added: "When working with Lewisham Council on this project we identified that a moveable structure would meet the needs not only of this area, but of any others that require temporary housing in the future.
"SIG's expertise and ability to create high-quality units offsite enabled us to realise the vibrant, modern designs of PLACE/Ladywell, and we look forward to working with them again in the near future."
PLACE/Ladywell was opened for occupation in August, and received the Mayor's Prize in the prestigious New London Architecture Awards, as well as the NLA award for Best Temporary Development.
