Wood Wharf, Canary Wharf

Project:                             Serviced apartments, Wood Wharf
Sector:                              Build-to-rent
Client:                               Canary Wharf Group
Main Contractor:              Canary Wharf Group
Architect:                          HTA Design
Pod Type:                         Enhanced GRP shower pods
Number of pods:             356 shower pods in two configurations

The Project

These two residential buildings in the heart of Wood Wharf in London’s Docklands will provide 297 fully serviced apartments and have been designed by HTA Design to reflect the area’s naval heritage, mirroring warehouse architecture with hand-set masonry façades.

This project is Offsite Solutions’ second pod contract for Canary Wharf Group at Wood Wharf. It is also the first application of one of our new GRP tile-effect finishes.

The Bathroom Pod Solution

We delivered a £2m contract to manufacture 356 GRP shower pods for this development.

The pods were produced in two different sizes and configurations, and each was fully finished and fitted out offsite before delivery to site.

Features in the smaller shower room include:

• A wall-mounted toilet
• Vanity front in pistachio green
• Mirror-fronted cabinet with LED up lighting and downlighting
• White granite-effect solid surface vanity shelf
• Vinyl flooring in snow white
• Heated ladder towel rail
• Exposed shelf unit in dark fir green
• Circular mirror with halo lighting
• Wall-hung D-shaped basin.

The second pod has a larger shower, a semi-recessed basin, and a wider shelving unit.

First Application of New Mosaic Finish

The pods for Wood Wharf are the first to use our new mosaic tile-effect finish – and the first to feature a second GRP finish in each pod.

The walls to the non-wet areas have an integral square tile-effect to contrast with the mosaic finish used above the hand basin and in the shower.

The design options for our highly successful range of GRP composite pods have been expanded to offer five tile-effect finishes specifically developed for the build-to-rent sector.

This latest innovation in pod technology widens the scope of factory-finished GRP shower rooms and bathrooms.

New Range of Design Options for Enhanced GRP Pods

Designers can now specify up to two different tile effects in a single pod – mosaic, square, larger format landscape or vertical, and brick-bond metro.

These finishes are all integral to the GRP pod carcase and so avoid the need for grout and tiles in the wet areas.

This solution radically reduces ongoing maintenance over the life of the bathroom and so can reduce operating costs for serviced apartment schemes by at least 90 per cent compared to in-situ built bathrooms with traditional tiling.

The Customer Perspective

Colin Holder, Senior Project Manager, Canary Wharf Group:

“We were very happy with the standard of the pods and Offsite Solutions’ performance on this contract. The tile effect is exactly what the design team was looking to achieve.”

“Bathroom pods give us the benefits of speed and cost efficiency. These factors and the site constraints were the main drivers to manufacture the bathrooms for this scheme offsite. We estimate pods reduced work on site by up to three weeks per bathroom – as we could progress work on site while the bathrooms were fully finished offsite in the factory. This programme saving was significant.”