London & South East Premier Construction

The Hatbox

The Hatbox, Luton, Oxford Road
Written by Roma Publications

The Hatbox, Luton, Oxford Road

The construction of a brand new student accommodation scheme in Luton , situated on Oxford Road, is to be completed by September 2014; ready for the intake of students.

Developers GolDev Ltd chose Elements Europe as their preferred supplier to manufacture and install the 199 Room Pods to the scheme. The project presented a £3.8 million off-site value to Elements Europe, who are part of The Pickstock Group of companies.

Maber Architects provided the design services for the scheme, with assistance from Elements Europe’s professional team who worked closely with Maber to ensure that the building was modularly compliant.

Hatbox’s Room Pods were built off-site at Elements Europe’s factory in Oswestry in just 11 weeks, and delivery to site commenced early May 2014. The building comprises of a steel frame structure onto which the off-site constructed modules were positioned.

Hatbox’s show flat, which was originally the prototype signed off by GolDev was delivered by Elements Europe in May 2014 to allow students to peruse the new facilities. The show flat was dressed with modern accessories to reflect student living.

Wayne Gold of GolDev commented “The new show flat is another reason why off-site construction is a great solution for a scheme on an expedited program. Having the show flat delivered internally complete meant that we could start our marketing activity in getting students to visit, and will hopefully improve the number of pre-lettings prior to completion of the building.”

The 199 Room Pods were made up of en-suite Room Pods as well as studio Room Pods which offer students the privacy of a self-contained room with open plan sleeping, studying and kitchen area, as well as incorporating an en-suite bathroom. Each Room Pod also features a large window, allowing for plenty of natural light into the room.

The building spans 11 storeys and when complete will also include a doctor’s surgery and pharmacy on the ground and first floor.

The development is ideally located for students attending the University of Bedfordshire, as it lies just a short walk away from the campus. The building is also a stones throw away from the local shops, bars and clubs. The accommodation will be operated by CRM Ltd, one of the largest independent student accommodation companies, which already manages over 19,000 beds across the UK.

The on-site accommodation management and maintenance team are able to be there for students whatever their needs, offering advice and solutions to issues as they arise. Students living in the new Hatbox development can also make the most of the on-site communal facilities which include a gym, cinema, games room, laundry facilities and study room, as well as Wi-Fi throughout the building.

 

About the author

Roma Publications