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Work begins on one of UK’s tallest modular buildings in Greenwich

The Royal Borough of Greenwich will soon boast one of the UK’s largest modular buildings as work on property developer Essential Living’s Creekside Wharf scheme gets underway.

The Acton-based developer has called upon modular building specialists Elements Europe to begin constructing modules that fit around the concrete frame of the 23-storey building, which will be one of the first build to rent schemes constructed using modular technology.

Located next to Deptford Creek, the new scheme will deliver 249 new homes with a focus on family tenants through amenities such as a nursery, added acoustic noise insulation and large utility cupboards.

Commenting on the potential of modular technology, which allows each individual unit to be built in just seven days, Ray Theakston, who is construction director at Essential Living, said that the developer may adopt the approach for other schemes.

He said: “We’re creating a portfolio of 5,000 rental homes across London and the South East. Modular may well play a role in some of our future schemes, but it’s important to stress that we remain committed to working with traditional contractors who will continue to play a key role in delivering our projects.”

Work on the modules has gotten underway at Elements’ Shropshire base after the firm attained full BOPAS accreditation for building up to 24 storeys using its modular solutions.

Managing Director at the firm, Simon Underwood, said the accreditation was recognition for the business’ efforts to attain the highest standards possible for its clients.

He added: “The BOPAS accreditation is an extremely prestigious and demanding process but we were confident that our systems and processes would meet the exceptionally high standards.

“In recent months we have seen an increasing demand for high rise schemes looking to use modular solutions. Our clients demand high quality, faster build programs, and cost certainty. We have the capacity and capability to deliver in a better way than traditional construction.”

The Creekside Wharf scheme is due to be completed in 2018 with Elements Europe providing 632 separate modules for the project.