Ten Degrees

Award Criteria

Architectural Excellence

Ten Degrees is the World’s Tallest Modular building upon completion at 136m tall making this a landmark project for modular construction on the international stage and showcasing the UK construction industry. This building is constructed from two interconnected towers, 38 and 44 storeys tall containing 38 volumetric steel modules on each level placed around a concrete core, creating 546 apartments. Both towers contain an open plan amenity area on the top floor, containing external spaces and 5m tall external parapet walls. The building is clad in striking, green terracotta tiles of varying geometric shapes to create a distinctive “non-modular” external appearance. This is evident in the design of the individual modules. Every module is geometrically different on plan, which required that each module be designed independently. There are approximately 9000 columns used in Ten Degrees, and each one is designed and engineered independently to suit the unique position in the building.

Technical Innovation & Sustainability

Vision Modular Systems and MJH Structural Engineers have developed a new type of volumetric modular offsite system that can construct modular buildings over 40 storeys, demonstrating that previously considered aspirational heights for modular construction, are now a reality. The development of the corner supported system required the merging of an engineered solution with efficient and accurate construction, utilizing cutting edge methodologies. The key to constructing tall modular buildings is in load path continuity and connection detailing. Many of the fabrication and manufacturing techniques used were created, extended and refined over previous years with the original system allowing cost effective construction up to the mid twenty storeys. Ten Degrees won the MBI's inaugural innovation award and the CTBUH award for engineering.

Cost Effectiveness

The development of the system technology facilitates constructing modular buildings over 40 storeys bringing the modular industry into the range of skyscrapers. The factory construction along with the well understood structure and system allow for a deep understanding of cost at project start. Intense engineering efforts target cost effective solutions by investigating materials, sizes, strengths, ease of completion, and any repetitive processes. R&D into both the system of building, and the engineering design have ensured a technically excellent, efficient product utilizing innovative connections and construction methodologies. Collaboration to raise awareness levels throughout the industry have been progressed with UK universities, government bodies and testing laboratories on the development of this system, such Imperial College London, Trinity College Dublin, Heriot Watt University Edinburgh and the Steel Construction Institute.