Principal contractor Midgard appoints bathroom pod manufacturer Offsite Solutions to provide bathroom and shower pods for Sackville Road, a new £260m Build to Rent neighbourhood now under construction for Moda Living in Hove, Sussex. The £4.2m contract is Offsite Solutions’ fourth and largest for Moda Living to date, bringing the total number of pods ordered to over 2,600. This latest project follows the successful delivery of bathroom pods for Moda communities in Manchester and Liverpool – and Glasgow which is currently in manufacture.
Offsite Solutions will manufacture 839 pods for Sackville Road in three configurations – bathrooms, shower rooms and family bathrooms, designed to Moda’s high interior design specification.
“We partnered with Moda and Midgard to engineer the pod solutions at the initial design stages of the Hove scheme. This early engagement maximises the benefits and efficiency of offsite manufacturing and standardisation, to the benefit of both the developer and the contractor.”
“Pod solutions work very well for Build to Rent developments, and we are delighted to be awarded our fourth project for Moda. On completion of Sackville Road and their Holland Park neighbourhood in Glasgow, we will have manufactured over 2,600 bathroom pods for this client.
“Our sister company, Deanestor, is also working on Sackville Road, providing kitchens and fitted wardrobes in a separate £3.7m fitout contract – a fantastic achievement for our family-owned group of companies.”
James Stephens, Managing Director of Offsite Solutions
The pods at Sackville Road include 588 shower pods with deluxe-sized rainfall showers, square wall-mounted hand basin, brushed steel accessories, colour-matched heated ladder towel rail, and stylish cabinets with open shelving, and mirrored doors. Wall tiles are porcelain in two contemporary colourways – light and dark grey.
The bathroom pods follow the same modern interior design theme as the shower rooms. They will have a steel bath, overhead and hand-held showers, and a pivot shower screen – all pre-installed before delivery to site. Some shower rooms will be adaptable, designed to accommodate wheelchair access and the addition of a grabrail and shower seat.
Pods are supplied floorless which avoids the need for a recess in the floor slab on site – to minimise floor build-up for each storey whilst achieving continuous level floors throughout each apartment.
“Having worked with Offsite Solutions previously, I fully appreciate the benefits of factory production for bathrooms. Offsite manufacturing generates programme reductions and means less activity on site so there are fewer trades and interfaces to manage. We will simply drop the pods into position for rapid service connections. We also expect quality to be better and more consistent because the bathroom fitout takes place under factory conditions.”
“This is Offsite Solutions’ first project with Midgard, and I am pleased to report that our experience so far has been very positive.”
Ryan Newman, Project Manager at Midgard
Designed by Whittam Cox Architects, the six apartment buildings that form part of a new intergenerational urban village at Sackville Road will provide 564 studio, one, two and three-bedroom apartments for rent to individuals and families.
The scheme includes 50,000 sq ft of commercial and co-working space, shops and cafés. There are also plans for 260 community care homes, a new public square and extensive public realm and green space. Amenities include private dining areas, communal lounges, gym, roof spaces, open terraces, and a wide range of wellbeing services from classes, clubs and events. Residents also benefit from a 24-hour concierge, cleaning and laundry services and onsite maintenance. Construction began in the latter part of 2021 and the scheme is due to complete in early 2024.
