Balfour Beatty and UNITE, the UK’s leading provider of student accommodation, have celebrated the completion of the main construction phase of their latest student accommodation development in Kings Cross with a ‘topping out’ ceremony.
The event marks the beginning of the next phase to fit out the 571 bed development which is split into four blocks, over ten floors in central London.
The St Pancras Way project is being built to UNITE’s latest specification, providing a more contemporary look and feel than previous student accommodation but at an affordable price for central London.
As the accommodation is situated above a seven-metre high warehouse for a builders’ merchants, an innovative feature on the development includes a noise transference solution, which uses cast in-situ, reinforced concrete up to 1.5m in depth, reducing ambient noise transfer between the business and the student accommodation above.
As a leading considerate constructor Balfour Beatty has invested in the local community, creating ten local apprenticeships though the Kings Cross Construction Skills Centre, a programme by the London Borough of Camden to offer training, skills and advice to local residents. In addition, Balfour Beatty has donated £10,000 in labour and materials to the nearby Camley Street Nature Reserve, including the provision of a new tool shed and upgrade to the visitor centre.
This project is one of several that Balfour Beatty has carried out in the past with UNITE, forging a strong construction partnership which together has developed over 4,000 bed spaces in London.
Richard Simpson, UNITE Managing Director of Property, said: “UNITE has developed a long standing and ongoing relationship over the last 14 years with Balfour Beatty to provide high quality student accommodation. This latest development will provide a home for students in a highly desirable area at a competitive price point, in a market where demand for accommodation exceeds supply.”
Nicholas Pollard, Balfour Beatty Construction Services UK, Chief Executive Officer, said: “I am delighted we have topped out construction on the UNITE student accommodation in St Pancras Way, marking yet another successful milestone achieved in our long and solid relationship with UNITE.
"We really enjoy working with a client with one of the most intelligent, creative and effective approaches to engaging with industry for the development of property in the student accommodation sector. This is an area in which Balfour Beatty really thrives and we are particularly pleased to be delivering to our customer’s latest thinking which offers a total solution for the provision of student accommodation.”
The scheme is due for completion in July 2014.
