Fusion Building Systems has been contracted by Keepmoat Regeneration, part of the ENGIE group, to supply offsite-manufactured light gauge steel superstructures, for the sustainably-designed Neville’s Cross student campus at Durham University.
The Northampton-based offsite construction company started work on site earlier this summer, erecting the 274 high quality en-suite studio bedrooms which will make up the new campus. Located across six blocks of three-, four- and five-storey-buildings, they have been designed by GWP Architecture (artists impression above) for Eco-Res to achieve the ‘BREEAM Outstanding’ rating for sustainability.
Of the environmental credentials of the overall build and ongoing operation of the accommodation, Fusion’s contribution as an offsite manufacturer is significant. Its low to zero-waste manufacturing process, five-times fewer journeys to site than traditional building methods, and low levels of embodied CO2 in the superstructure of the buildings, are hoped will contribute to securing the highly-acclaimed BREEAM ranking.
Stewart Hackney, Fusion Building Systems‘ Business Development Manager, said: “Our offsite solutions are often specified for student accommodation or city centre schemes because of our fast, predictable build times and our ability to operate on sites with restricted access. What’s often overlooked however, are our outstanding environmental credentials.
“We’ve worked with Keepmoat Regeneration and Eco-Res Limited on many projects over the past few years and both know our offsite solution has significant sustainability benefits over traditional building methods. So, when combined with the considered design and operation of a building, we can help developers earn BREEAM credits, strengthening the case to achieve the overall rating desired.”
The bespoke designs for the student accommodation were developed through the collaboration of all three companies. They’ll see the new campus made up of differing building types to enhance the streetscape of the route into the city centre— illustrating how light gauge steel superstructures can be incorporated into any design or external finish.
Fusion’s build programme for Neville’s Cross is estimated at 26 weeks and after just six weeks, one accommodation block has already been erected.
