Bathroom manufacturer and designer, Geberit, recently worked with OEP Building Services to deliver bathroom pods as part of an ideal modular solution at a 27-storey mixed-use development in Brent, London.
The suburb of Alperton was designated a Housing Zone by the Mayor of London in 2015 and is a key regeneration area for the London Borough of Brent. Up to 6,000 new homes are planned for the area in north-west London. Minavil House in Wembley is the gateway site to Alperton, comprising of 251 residential units with 215 of these earmarked for shared ownership and the remaining 36 for affordable rent. Work started on the large-scale development in 2019 and is scheduled for completion in 2022.
OEP Building Services, a modular construction company based in Lancashire, worked with HG Construction and Clarion Housing Group to supply the bathroom pods across Minavil House. Clarion Housing Group specified Twyford ceramic sanitaryware, with OEP then working with Geberit to develop the specification further. The fully-fitted steel framed bathroom pods were assembled at OEP's offsite manufacturing facility.
Max Rossell, Purchasing Manager at OEP, explains the benefits of specifying pods: "One of the main reasons why installing pod bathrooms is preferable for a project like this comes down to cost. Our manufacturing facility is based in the north of England which presents some serious price advantages over installing the bathrooms on-site in London. Just factoring in costs like the on-site parking for the teams of plumbers on a project of this scale has a huge impact on overall budgets. You also have significant economies of scale with the manufacture of hundreds of bathrooms offsite in one facility with less breakages and snagging issues."
However, with the industry recognising the benefits of offsite construction, Max explains why it's not just cost alone that is driving the shift. "There is another huge advantage of quality control and consistency across a project. The factory-controlled conditions enable us to not only improve productivity, but also ensures that the ceramics are fitted to the highest quality standards. Every stage of the process is carefully managed and we quality test throughout the entire process."
The range of products specified includes Twyford E100 ceramics, Twyford Celtic steel baths and Geberit concealed cisterns. Max worked directly with Geberit to determine the final bathroom specification, saying: "We were impressed with the supply chain and availability of the products. The process was very straightforward indeed. We've worked with Geberit previously so both know and trust the products. We had first-class service, expert knowledge and support at every stage."
For more information visit www.geberit.co.uk
