High Performing Buildings – January’s Roundup

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• High Performing Buildings – January’s Roundup

23 January 2024

The first high performing buildings roundup for 2024 features a £185 million student accommodation scheme, a Dubai "hypertower" and the UK’s first purpose-built majority LGBTQ+ housing scheme. 

 

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Burj Binghatti Jacob & Co Residences – The World’s First Hypertower?

 

A project to develop the world’s tallest residential structure in Dubai has been introduced by UAE developer Binghatti. Whilst the planned height of the building is unknown and no time frame has been given, the proposed design features over 100 storeys of two and three-bedroom apartments.

The ultra-luxury skyscraper concept is in collaboration with Jacob & Co, the prestige watch and jewellery company, with its design reminiscent of the baguette-cut gems Jacob & Co is renowned for. Its penthouses are named after flagship Jacob & Co timepieces Fleurs De Jardin, Astronomia and Billionaire.

The design also evokes images of royalty with its diamond-shaped spires, which have been described as being “reminiscent of an actual crown”.

Muhammad Binghatti, CEO and Head of Architecture of Binghatti believes he’s coining a new term in skyscraper vocabulary with the Burj Binghatti Jacob & Co Residences, the “hypertower”. The Binghatti website states: “Imagine living amidst the clouds at the peak of one of the tallest hypertowers in the world”, perhaps hinting at the tower’s proposed height.  

 

Hawthorne House

 

Unite Students, the UK’s largest provider of student accommodation, has begun the construction phase of its new £185 million property in Stratford, London.

The 36-storey property, Hawthorne House, includes a sixth-form academy and the London Academy of Excellence, which will be in place for an initial 35-year term. Hawthorne House will have 719 beds, opening in time for the 2026/27 academic year.

RG Group has been awarded the build contract, which will use a fabric-first approach for energy efficiency.

Tom Brewerton, Group Development Director at Unite Students, said: “Hawthorne House will offer high-quality bedrooms, social and study areas, and will be home to a sixth form academy. It shows Unite Students’ commitment to deliver high-quality student accommodation using sustainable methods. We look forward to furthering our relationship with both University of the Arts London and the London Academy of Excellence.”

 

LGBTQ+ Extra Care Housing Scheme

 

Great Places Housing Group has launched a public consultation on proposals for the UK’s first purpose-built and co-produced majority LGBTQ+ Extra Care housing scheme in Manchester.

On a brownfield site in Russell Road, Whalley Range, a development is planned to provide high-quality, affordable, and inclusive homes for older people who identify as LGBTQ+ or allies. There are plans for 80 rented apartments in a brick building of four to five storeys, featuring shared amenities such as lounges, treatment rooms and landscaped gardens.

The site will also include a neighbouring separate shared ownership block of around 40 apartments. Other proposed benefits of the scheme include a potential reduction in GP and hospital visits due to the inclusion of accident prevention design features and the provision of on-site community activities. 

It is also hoped that offering people suitable alternatives for houses that are larger than they need could release existing family-sized homes into the local housing market.

The Extra Care housing scheme has been developed in collaboration with Russell Road Community Steering Group, Manchester City Council and LGBT Foundation. In 2020, LGBT Foundation asked members of the LGBTQ+ community about their current finances, their housing situation, their care needs and their thoughts on the proposed site. The results showed that 89 per cent wanted more supported housing options for older LGBT people and 74 per cent wanted to move into the proposed LGBT extra care scheme.

Commenting on the launch of the consultation Helen Spencer, Great Places Housing Group’s  Executive Director of Growth, said: “We are delighted to launch our public consultation for this exciting and innovative project, which aims to create the UK’s first purpose-built and co-produced LGBTQ+ Extra Care housing scheme in Whalley Range.

“Russell Road will provide high-quality, affordable, and inclusive homes for older people who identify as LGBT+ or allies, as well as shared ownership opportunities for local residents. We believe this scheme will not only meet the specific needs and aspirations of the LGBT+ community, but also enhance the diversity and vibrancy of Whalley Range as a neighbourhood.”

 

CHECK OUT OTHER HIGH PERFORMING BUILDINGS

 

Picture: a CGI showing the proposed Burj Binghatti Jacob & Co Residences with its crown-shaped spires. Image Credit: Binghatti 

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 23 January 2024

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