Modular developer gets the green light for 1,000 sustainable student homes in Canary Wharf

Modular developer and contractor Tide Construction has secured planning permission for a student accommodation scheme at 30 Marsh Wall, Canary Wharf, London, providing 1,068 beds.

The building, designed by EPR Architects, will provide amenity space and a “generously sized” roof garden. The surrounding public realm will be enhanced with the creation of a public path between Cuba Street and Marsh Wall and a “high-quality” recreational space or ‘pocket park’.

Tide is the scheme’s developer and contractor and will construct the building with precision-made modules manufactured by its sister company Vision Modular Systems.

The development further bolsters Tide Construction’s pipeline of projects under construction and in planning. Tide has more than 3,000 homes under construction and has seen sustained year-on-year growth in the past decade.

Tide Construction, in partnership with its volumetric modular company Vision Modular Systems, has already delivered a “significant” portfolio of modular developments for institutional investors and partners in the UK across a range of asset classes including housing, hotels and Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA).

A recent independent academic study of Tide & Vision’s accredited method of delivery found it reduces embodied carbon emissions by up to 45 per cent. The approach also cuts construction time by up to 50 per cent and results in a more dependable construction programme, with efficient construction logistics minimising disruption in the local area.

At Marsh Wall, as pointed out by the planning officer’s report, Tide and Vision’s method of delivery will result in an 80 per cent reduction in site waste, while ensuring that 100 per cent of any waste produced, is recycled.

John Fleming, chairman of Tide Construction, said: “This landmark scheme bolsters our portfolio of major schemes in London, further strengthening Tide and Vision’s role in revolutionising the way in which homes are delivered in the UK.

“Working in close collaboration with the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and our consultants, this scheme will further demonstrate the power of modular to deliver buildings of the highest architectural quality with world-leading engineering.

Pascal Wensink, design director of EPR Architects, added: “30 Marsh Wall truly showcases both the sustainability and the flexibility of the Vision Modular System, allowing us to have design freedom while benefiting from the offsite approach.”

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