LU2ON UNION PHASE 1

OVERVIEW

LU2ON Union phase 1 was a fast-paced project with a non-negotiable deadline that saw us design and install a wide range of MEP services to 401 apartments in just 12 months.

CHALLENGE

LU2ON Union phase 1 was a fast-paced project with a non-negotiable deadline that saw us design and install a wide range of MEP services to 401 apartments in just 12 months.

Despite being stood down for several months due to Covid-19, we still managed to achieve the client’s revised target handover date upon our return.

SOLUTION

Built on a former Vauxhall motor company site, LU2ON Union was part of a wider scheme that included a hotel, public park, retail and leisure complex, bars and restaurants.

Forming part of Luton’s £1.5 billion investment framework it also included a new football and concert stadium, transformation of London Luton Airport, a 395-acre enterprise zone, improved public transport facilities and expansion of its cultural quarter.

Phase 1, which is a residential-led, mixed-use development, was delivered alongside the main contractor, JJ Rhatigan for Strawberry Star. It saw 401 apartments built across three blocks, nine, ten and eleven storeys high.

We used BIM 360 and Revit 3D modelling throughout the project, providing a fully integrated solution.

MEP works included electrical heating to apartments, power distribution, fire alarms and heat recovery ventilation. Domestic services, drainage, sprinkler and fire suppression and full HVAC were also provided.

The MEP infrastructure saw risers and corridors installed with sub-main supplies for landlord and tenant services featuring boosted cold water and sprinklers serving each apartment.

We pre-fabricated pipe work, mains pipe work and a plantroom fit out, and installed Air Conditioning  units in the front of house office areas.

A crucial aspect of our work was the high level of organisation and quality assurance to meet the challenging timetable, which saw us create a bespoke project management structure.

Directed by the senior contracts department, we appointed MEP managers and foremen to each of the three blocks to oversee works, ensuring all were delivered with a uniform approach.

This included ongoing liaison to ensure all blocks stayed on programme, labour resources – that saw over 150 engineers onsite – were managed efficiently, and a rigorous quality assurance approval process was adhered to.

Central to this was the use of technology with each MEP manager cross-referencing all sections delivered by different trades using tablets equipped with the latest BIM 360 software.

This enabled the installation to mirror the designs created by our in-house team and meant all work was completed to the highest standard before handing over to the next trade to begin.

To give residents an understanding of different services in their apartments and explain how to resolve simple issues that might occur, we created a user guide video that could be accessed by scanning a QR code that took them to our YouTube channel.

The video showed how to isolate mains cold water, use washing machines, smoke and heat detectors and how to operate intercom and ventilation systems.

The scheme was an outstanding success and following the official handover saw G&H  appointed to deliver aftercare and compliance, looking after the services we installed.

RESULTS

The scheme was an outstanding success and following the official handover saw G&H appointed to deliver aftercare and compliance, looking after the services we installed.