Speedy Steel for Sustainable Substructures

Sanctuary Group’s latest affordable housing development on a tight inner-city site in Wood Green, London, called for a compact pre-fabricated framing solution. Metsec’s pre-panelised Metframe system solved the spatial challenge and contributed to the speedy construction of the medium-rise building. Sanctuary Group is a leading housing and care provider and the UK’s biggest social landlord, managing over 96,000 quality affordable homes and accommodation units across England and Scotland. In Wood Green, London, Sanctuary is developing a new housing scheme consisting of 66 energy efficient apartments for rent and shared ownership as well as retail units. The fabrication mode, installation speed and green credentials of cold roll-formed manufacturer Metsec’s Metframe system benefitted the project three-fold. Because the building site is restricted for space due to surrounding residential and commercial buildings, main contractor Bennett Construction and accredited Metsec installer Atkin Trade Specialists opted for a framing solution fabricated offsite. The Metframe System allowed Atkin Trade Specialists to pre-build panels off-site in time for installation as soon as Bennett Construction released each section of the substructure. Crucially, the ‘just in time’ manufacture of all framing members required for the load-bearing structure of Sanctuary Group’s new two to six storey building removed spatial concerns and kept the site tidy. The speed and ease with which Metsec’s pre-panelised Metframe was erected satisfied Bennett Construction’s tight construction programme and resonated with Atkin Trade Specialists, who instructed Metsec to produce the detailed structural design and construction drawings using BIM. Jeff Harris, Director at Atkin Group, explains: “Typically, low to medium rise apartment blocks like these are made from concrete structures infilled with steel, or they are masonry constructions. But here the entire structure uses steel and it makes sense: The pre-panelised framing is quick, accurate and predictable, which leads to consistently good results at a considerably shorter installation time, and what’s more it is an environmentally sound system that achieves high ratings within the Code for Sustainable Homes.” The apartments at the Wood Green housing development are built to Code for Sustainable Homes level 4 standard. Metsec’s steel framing system helps meet the energy efficiency requirements of Code level 4, given its thermal and acoustic properties within the construction envelope and its low-carbon footprint. Accordingly, Metframe scores well under the Code’s Green Guide rating and it is certified to the EMS standard ISO14001, which ensures compliance with the Code’s material assessment criteria, supporting Bennett Construction in attaining exemplary building performance.