Scape Wembley

Award Criteria

Architectural Excellence

Also known as Apex House, Scape Wembley was the tallest volumetric building in Europe, and the tallest volumetric student building in the world, when it was completed, marking a step-change in offsite construction. Occupying a prominent site on the corner of Empire Way, the 29-storey building provides 580 student rooms for Scape in a variety of types and sizes, including wheelchair-accessible units. It was one of the first volumetric buildings to secure a BREEAM Excellent rating. The building contains student rooms with shared living spaces, generous internal amenity space, a sheltered courtyard garden, and management and maintenance facilities. Its refined white Glass Reinforced Concrete (GRC) cladding accentuates the tower’s verticality, featuring corners that highlight its symmetrical form when viewed from surrounding streets, effectively concealing the highly regular and repetitive accommodation within.

Technical Innovation & Sustainability

MJH and Vision have developed a modular system capable of constructing into the mid 40 storeys in a timely and efficient manner and in doing so have raised modular to the height of skyscrapers. A thirteen-week construction period for twenty-eight storeys of modules completed in Wembley showcases the speed of placing of this new system identified as the VMS Corner Post System. The designs of the modular systems are undertaken to an intense level with structural efficiencies achieved throughout. Repetitive details encourage investigation of work practice, material usage, efficient design, labour and time. Use of the thinnest concrete slab with tight quality control on reinforcement and cover, together with lightweight ceiling and walls ensure structural efficiency and a building lighter than traditional construction. Intense analysis and design identifies the most suitable column sizes by storey and position maximising the efficiency, minimising cost, weight, transport and placing loads.

Cost Effectiveness

Construction in a factory ensures precise ordering of materials, fewer offcuts, less packaging, minimised heat loss through continuous insulation with minimal thermal bridging and a high level of air tightness. Factory construction dramatically reduces waste and segregation and recycling is managed by specialist sub-contractors. With 75% less personnel on site over traditional and a 60% reduction in deliveries there are benefits all round to efficiencies and carbon footprint reduction. Intense engineering, proven construction techniques, innovative structural solutions and connections, and creative building methods have ensured a technically excellent and efficient product. Robust concrete floors with a steel framed structural solution, lightweight walls and ceilings result in a high quality and economical high rise system of construction. New engineering design requirements have been developed to ensure a conforming and safe product at the leading edge of a highly innovative industry.