HTA Design completes ‘Europe’s tallest modular building’ for Tide

Tide has completed what is understood to be the largest volumetric modular tower in Europe.

The modular developer has finished work on its College Road scheme near East Croydon train station in south London.

The scheme comprises two buildings: a 50-storey build-to-rent development with 817 one-bed and studio apartments, and a 35-storey building providing 120 affordable homes. 

At 163 metres, the scheme is higher than Tide’s 135-metre high Ten Degrees build-to-rent development built in 2018, also in Croydon. The build-to-rent part of the scheme was completed in partnership with real estate firm Outpost Management and funded by Oaktree Capital Management.

Founded by John Fleming in 2013, Tide Construction is a volumetric modular developer that delivers student accommodation, private-sale and affordable homes, hotels, co-living spaces and build-to-rent properties.

Tide and its volumetric manufacturer sister company Vision currently have more than 3,500 homes under construction and have delivered 10,000 student beds.

Tide’s development portfolio includes seven of the ten tallest volumetric buildings in the world. The completion of College Road brings Tide’s total homes delivered in Croydon borough to 1,483.

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Tide Construction worked with Vision using an approach that it says cuts traditional construction time by up to 50%.

Tide reported that the use of Vision’s offsite technology enabled three-quarters of the development’s floor plate to be installed in 32% of the allotted time, helping to achieve their 28-month schedule.

HTA Design was the architect for the scheme, which was designed collaboratively with Tide and Vision’s in-house design teams.

John Fleming, chairman of Tide and Vision, said: “It’s fantastic to see this landmark development come to completion after only 28 months, two months ahead of schedule.

“College Road demonstrates the many benefits that come with building volumetric and its capacity to transform constrained sites into valuable real estate, but most importantly, providing nearly 1,000 homes and a revitalised public realm for Londoners delivered in an efficient and sustainable way.”