Chilver Hall Student Housing, Cranfield University, Bedfordshire
Following on from the very successful Stringfellow Hall student residences, Cranfield asked the same team to develop another student residence on the campus. This is the first phase of a much larger scheme that the University wishes to create, although the rental values were to be lower and so capital costs were also to be correspondingly reduced. This scheme is therefore a subtle modification of the previous version, with smaller rooms, and larger flats.
Careful studies of the economics of constructing smaller bedroom numbers in each phase led us to propose prefabricated timber in lieu of the tunnel form concrete structural system used previously. We found that timber deals better with lower numbers of repetition, yet still providing the same performance specification and benefits of modern methods of construction. In this instance steel and timber floor trusses have been used in combination with a floor and wall cassette system. Staircases and transfer structures are constructed in steel.
The project was completed in Autumn 2010 and has since become Cranfield's most popular student residence.
Architect Stanton Williams Architects
Awards Highly Commended, The Wood Awards 2010, LABC Building Excellence Awards, Best Educational Building &, Best Partnership with a Local Authority 2011
Environmental Engineer KJ Tait Engineers
Project Manager TPS Schal
Quantity Surveyor Northcroft
Main Contractor Marriott Construction Ltd
Client Cranfield University
Project Value £4.5 million
Awards Highly Commended, The Wood Awards 2010, LABC Building Excellence Awards, Best Educational Building &, Best Partnership with a Local Authority 2011
Environmental Engineer KJ Tait Engineers
Project Manager TPS Schal
Quantity Surveyor Northcroft
Main Contractor Marriott Construction Ltd
Client Cranfield University
Project Value £4.5 million
