Our modular shower pods are a versatile and cost-effective solution for multiple occupancy housing and are a proven way to save main contractors and clients time and money on high quality showering facilities for building residents. In this case study, we’ll explain how we contributed to a high-profile hospital nurses’ accommodation project for Charing Cross Hospital, a large general teaching hospital located in Hammersmith, West London.
Challenge
In 2018, the client, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, commissioned a major renovation of three multi-story 1960s tower blocks on Fulham Road (Cliff, Parsons, and Golding House) that were being used as nurses’ accommodation for staff working at the nearby Charing Cross Hospital.
At the time, the accommodation blocks were extremely dated and required extensive restructuring and refurbishment – the goal being to provide 680 modern bed spaces, organised into ‘accommodation clusters’ with communal bathroom and kitchen facilities.
Each accommodation cluster or floor was to have six bedrooms with a shared kitchen and two shared bath/shower rooms. The project was designed by architectural consultants John Rowan & Partners (JRP), with the main contractor being Mitie Property Services Ltd.
Objectives
Mitie approached us to enquire about the suitability of our shower pods for the development, and in response we created a trial room to show them how the shower pods could fit in within their project.
They were happy with our proposal and approved our involvement to supply 180 corner cubicles with shower doors and mixers as wash facilities for the entire development.
The challenge for us and the contractors was that all three buildings were continually occupied throughout the refurbishment. The work was to be undertaken on block release over two years: one floor was refurbished at a time, and then residents were moved from the floor above down to the refurbished floor, so that there was always one floor free.
How We Helped
To fit in with the contractor’s project schedule, we delivered and installed five shower pods per week over an 18-month period. This minimised disruption for residents and other tradespeople working on the development, and also avoided the need to store large consignments of shower pods on site. The smaller deliveries and installations made the project more efficient and manageable, so that the pods could be installed at a late stage of the build before the team moved on to the next accommodation cluster.
Outcomes And Feedback
The refurbishment of Cliff, Parsons, and Golding House was a major undertaking for the client, main contractor, and their supply partners (including Advanced Showers) and was only concluded recently, in Spring 2023. The nurses at Charing Cross Hospital now have access to high quality modern accommodation close to their workplace, with integrated shower and wash facilities.
Find Out More
We’d like to thank the teams at Mitie, JRP, Charing Cross and Imperial College for their support and involvement throughout the project, and for being a pleasure to work with.
If you’d like to find out more about this project or discuss how our shower pods could benefit a property development that you are working on, please call us today on 01483 532020.
Image Source: Canva
