MP1, Elephant and Castle

Metsec provides SFS system to residential blocks as part of Elephant and Castle regeneration project

As part of the £1.5bn Elephant and Castle regeneration project, light gauge structural steel specialist, voestalpine Metsec plc, is providing its SFS infill walling products to the first phase of the project, MP1 (Masterplan Phase 1). Metsec joined the project in 2015 and phase 1 is set to be complete in 2017. The overall project will include nearly 3,000 homes, over 50 shops and restaurants, as well as a brand new park for the community to enjoy.

The SFS infill walling products that Metsec are providing will be used across the 11 apartment blocks that make up South Gardens, which is part of the larger Elephant Park. Metsec used its design expertise to ensure that the SFS system it supplied suited the requirements of the project.

Tibor Nagy, Design Manager at S&R London, said:
“We have decided to use Metsec on the MP1 development because we know we will continuously get an excellent service from the beginning of the project through to its completion.

“MP1 proved to be a challenge on the design front, not necessarily due to complexity, but because of the sheer size of the project and the never-ending flow of information and design changes. To be able to keep up with these changes we needed the full support of the Metsec design and engineering team way beyond what was originally planned.

“The other challenge is to ensure that the large amount of framing materials being used on the project are delivered on time to the multiple blocks in an organised and clear manner. We know that we can rely on Metsec to provide us with a great service that gives us a chance to plan, and complete site works on programme.”

The Elephant and Castle regeneration scheme is also one of 18 founding projects across the world in the Climate Positive Development Program, and aims to be net carbon negative by 2020. As part of the scheme’s focus on sustainability, the homes will feature the latest environmental building practices and innovations. As part of this, the homes will include water saving technology, with a particular focus on urban nature, which will include green roofs and green walls. Some of the other sustainable initiatives that the project will incorporate include an on-site combined heat and energy centre; an extensive biodiversity strategy across the development to heal and restore nature on-site and ultimately help improve inner city air quality; a strong focus on keeping residents active by creating walking and cycling facilities, as well as ensuring use of public transport and charge points for electric vehicles.

Metsec is committed to undertaking its activities in an efficient and sustainable manner, in-line with environmental best practice and has been awarded a number of sustainability certifications including: ISO 14001 – Environmental Management, BES 6001 – Framework Standard for the Responsible Sourcing of Construction Products, BCSA Steel Construction Sustainability Charter – Gold Standard and Sandwell Business Environmental Charter – Platinum Plus Level 2. This means that its SFS products fit well with the other sustainable features being used on the project.

Stephen Ginger, Managing Director of Metsec Purlins & Framing, commented:
“We know that our SFS products have proved to be quick to build, to increase sustainability performance and to significantly improve cost efficiency. Our SFS products can offer a quick water tight date and for those larger scale projects, like MP1 Elephant and Castle, speed is particularly important. All of these benefits marry particularly well with this project as it meets the objectives of the build, in particular its sustainability aspirations.”

Take a look at Metsec’s SFS Infill Walling Solutions