We provided Civil and Structural Engineering, Flood Risk and Transport Planning design services for the new build mixed use student accommodation development located on the former Maltings site at King Edward Quay, Colchester.

The project provided accommodation for 775 students in a combination of self-contained flats and studios together with a new restaurant/bar, convenience store, fitness centre and ancillary facilities. The project also included extensive Highways Section 278 works to remodel to the public highway of Distillery Lane into a shared car-pedestrian surface, improvements to the quayside, a new cycle lane, bus stop improvement works and provision of a public open space for exhibitions and events onto the quay side.

The brownfield site, formerly used for industrial purposes, a travelers site and a scrapyard presented a number of challenges including ground remediation to remove contamination, flood risk from the adjacent tidal River Colne, high ground water, pre-existing localised flooding issues from public sewers and significant changes in ground levels across the site. 

The building comprised a lightweight steel prefabricated modular construction above an in-situ concrete podium transfer structure at first and second floor levels off piled foundations. At ground floor level an under croft car park was provided including a new sheet pile retaining wall supporting the adjacent highway under an Approval in Principle application with the highways authority.

A 22m long, 3-storey residential steel framed ‘bridge’ was also provided between two blocks at third floor level. At first floor level the podium is landscaped with a water retaining intensive green roof system to provide an internal landscaped courtyard space.