Residential
Fusion Bristol Road, Birmingham
The Bristol Road development is a 17 storey Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) development that will provide 664 bedrooms on a current brownfield site. Residents will be provided with a wide range of social and communal facilities including a gym and basketball court, dedicated study spaces, karaoke and games rooms and a landscaped outdoor courtyard. Currently at Stage 4, Helios have been involved from the early stages of the project (RIBA Stage 0) developing the fire strategy and supporting the design team as the design has progressed. In addition, Helios have undertaken a fire engineering assessment to justify reduced fire resistance to fire resisting glazing and are also to deliver Stage 5 and 6 support as the project progresses. Interesting challenges involved the developing a strategy to take account of large social and communal spaces including voids between ground and first floors and space separation requirements due to limited boundary distances.
Brabazon PBSA, Filton, South Gloucester
Part of YTL’s extensive Brabazon development, Helios have been tasked with the development of a fire strategy and construction support for four 8-storey blocks of purpose-built student accommodation.
Fusion Loughborough
The scheme is overlooking the canal and short walk to the University. The scheme comprises two buildings, Building A and B. Building A is a relevant building, and the top floor is approximately 24m from ground floor level. Both buildings comprise 525 rooms. On the ground floor and mezzanine of Building A, common amenity spaces for use of the tenants have been proposed. Key challenges included justifying extended travel distances within residential common corridor. Currently Helios are appointed from Stage 2 and have developed the Gateway 1 pack comprising detailed fire strategy, fire statement and fire safety markups. Helios are currently appointed up to Stage 4 for the scheme.
SAP 3 Student Accommodation Campus Development
This £80m project on the University of the West of England’s Frenchay Campus will provide 900 beds of student accommodation over ten six-storey, concrete-framed accommodation blocks, and is the largest Passivhaus student accommodation scheme in the UK.
Helios has been engaged from RIBA Stages 1 – 6 providing detailed fire safety strategy advice and construction support. Challenges on this scheme included providing suitable smoke ventilation whilst still meeting the onerous air leakage rates required by Passivhaus.
Additionally, the onerous insulation and air leakage requirements made product selection extremely difficult when comparing the combustibility requirements with the air leakage and insulation values required.
Lordship Lane
This joint venture between Tri7 and Fusion Group includes a student accommodation block with over 600 bedrooms, library, gym and social areas. The site will also include 77 affordable homes including a mix of apartments and townhouses. Helios have been engaged from RIBA Stages 2-6 and was the companies first project to be submitted under Gateway 2.