Quintain and McAleer & Rushe have completed 188 new Build to Rent homes which form the first phase of South West Lands, and the newest residential building at Wembley Park known as Ferrum.

McAleer & Rushe won the contract through the Wembley Park construction framework, and the completion of this building marks their second project to be delivered through the framework. Their third project – Phase 2 of Ferrum – is already underway which will see an additional 553 rental homes built at Wembley Park, all to be managed by Quintain’s lifestyle–focussed rental management company, Tipi.

McAleer & Rushe completed Phase 1 of Ferrum to budget and five weeks ahead of schedule. The construction programme delivered a reinforced concrete framed 188–unit residential block of up to 18–storeys, with a 3–storey link building and new retail units facing onto Station Square. The building has a handcrafted feel from using approximately 350,000 bricks and standing seam metal cladding. Completing 660,000 working hours since January 2017, the programme saw a peak of 220 operatives on site. All 10 apprentices and an average of 40% of the workforce were from the local area, the London Borough of Brent.

Ferrum is designed by award–winning architects JTP and is inspired by old New York warehouses and loft–style living. The social spaces, amenities and homes feature exposed ceilings, copper pipework and traditional brickwork.  The homes range from studios to three bedrooms and will all be managed by Tipi. The link building, which will connect Phases 1 and 2, houses the amenities for residents including a fully functional gym with climbing wall, a huge resident lounge, home–working rooms, a library, a laptop bar overlooking the atrium, a rooftop garden with panoramic views and south–facing podium gardens.

Matt Voyce, Executive Director of Construction at Quintain said,

“The first building at South West Lands is our most exciting yet and I’m delighted it has been completed to budget and five weeks ahead of schedule thanks to our outstanding partner, McAleer & Rushe. Phase 2 is now well under way and on schedule for completion in 2020. We look forward to continuing the transformation of Wembley Park by delivering thousands more homes, retail and office space and continuing on our strong relationship with McAleer & Rushe through our construction framework.”

Darragh Greenan, Contracts Director at McAleer & Rushe commented,

“I am extremely proud of the whole McAleer & Rushe team to have successfully completed Phase 1 of South West Lands ahead of programme and on budget as part of the transformation of Wembley Park. This is down to the strong and collaborative relationship we have with Quintain and the dedicated supply chain that have supported the construction of this development. The strong framework we have built will see us through to another fantastic handover of Phase 2 in 2020, for a further 553 new homes.”

 The construction and design of Phase 1 focused strongly on sustainability. Covered with green roofs, the layout and block orientation of the building take advantage of natural daylight, sunlight and wind movement maximising comfort and minimising energy demand. All 188 homes achieved the highest score for the Environmental Impact rating (A) and received very energy efficient  EPC ratings, scoring in the B range. Electric vehicle charging points are provided for 20% of residential parking spaces and provision for a further 10% of spaces. During construction, there was a high standard of environmental management with onsite waste segregation and 99% of construction waste being recycled. Phase 1 also won two CCS awards; 2018 Bronze and 2019 Silver.

McAleer & Rushe topped out Phase 2 of Ferrum, their third contract at Wembley Park, in May. The second phase of the project is set to deliver a further 553 new homes across three blocks of up to 17–storeys. There are 40 subcontractors within the supply chain and, of the 450 operatives currently on site, 170 are from the local area. The project has also provided 19 apprenticeship opportunities with 13 of those awarded to local people.