Work begins on Apex Airspace development in Bermondsey

Apex Airspace is working with Lambeth & Southwark Housing Association to deliver 30 new homes in an innovative rooftop extension development. Using off-site and modular construction techniques, the project will unite two previously unoccupied buildings around a central core.

Situated just minutes away from pubs, cafes, artisanal businesses and a popular street market, the development will also benefit from access to the Jubilee Line and London Overground network.

Apex Airspace will use a bespoke steel structure to support the weight of the new homes. Twenty-four will be made available at London Affordable Rent and six at social rent. The development will be a mix of one and two-bedroomed flats.

Innovation and efficiency

The new project will bring together two unoccupied blocks, Antony House and Roderick House, with a rooftop development of apartments. The space between the blocks will be filled with flats and all construction will take place off-site.

Apex will also create ‘bookends’ for more affordable homes and turn the core into a public entranceway. Mark Jackson, chief executive of LSHA, praised the Apex development, saying that the company’s construction methods will deliver high quality homes fast. The proposed development also allows existing stock to be repurposed making the project more sustainable.

Airspace and infill

The airspace and infill will create a mix of one and two-bedroom flats with a contemporary open plan design. Floor to ceiling windows will maximise natural light while high levels of insulation and energy efficiency will significantly reduce residents’ utility bills. Each flat will benefit from access to outdoor space.

The rooftop units will be built off-site and will make the most of modular construction methods to reduce waste and deliver on a tight schedule. The bookend structures and infill will use a panelised construction system to reduce the amount of time spent on-site and minimise disruption to existing residents. The central core will contain a lift, improved lighting, cycle and recycling storage and a landscaped forecourt.

Design and build

Adston have been appointed the design and build contractors for the year long project. Specialising in cutting edge modular construction techniques, Adston will use HKR Architects for the modular design, CS Consulting Group for structural and civil elements and JSM & Associates as service engineers committed to economic and sustainable delivery.

David Rainey, head of business development at Adston said they were delighted to be involved in the Anthony and Roderick House project. Rainey called it the first of many such sustainable developments with the aim of expanding and extending established buildings.

Initial works

Work has begun with the removal of the existing pitched roofs. This has saved LSHA £400,000 in repairs. The steel exo-skeleton will then be secured in place before the modular units are craned in.

Apex Airspace construction director Jonathan Poole hailed the first of a kind airspace project to provide 100% sustainable housing. Apex chief executive Arshad Bhatti said the project demonstrated the ability to unlock new sources of affordable housing in London and provide a blueprint for other councils and housing associations.

Lambeth & Southwark Housing Association chief executive Mark Jackson said LSHA had been impressed with the Apex model and felt it represented a tangible way forward for the modular approach.