Planning permission has been granted for a new office building in London, UK. What makes it so special? The office building is going to be based on a shipping container. Furthermore, if everything goes according to plan, the building will rise to a height of 85 feet, thus making it the world’s tallest shipping container-based building after its completion. The project will also feature sustainable ideas, including solar power. The prefabricated project has been named as 118 VR.
118 VR will be located in Vallance Road, East London. The area is already undergoing redevelopment and enjoys a claim to fame because of being home to the infamous Kray Twins gangsters. The office building is slated to rise to nine floors and will have a solar panel array on its top, thus reducing the electricity that it procures from the grid. Patalab Architecture still intends on retaining some of the industrial looks of the containers.
The industrial look of 118 VR will, however, be softened because of the unified cladding, balconies, and the use of glazing. The interior walls will undergo lining using corrugated metal. In terms of the structure, the containers will get stacked atop of each other and shall be reinforced using a steel framework. There is some concern about how the shipping containers will hold up against hot and cold weather.
Patalab Architecture said this while talking about 118 VR, ‘An important condition of our permission is that the construction must be BREEAM rated ‘excellent’ [a green building code], which we will achieve in collaboration with the expertise of sustainability consultants Eight Associates and services engineers Ingine. Aside from the fact that the structure is almost entirely recycled, we are set to incorporate photovoltaic cells on the roof as well as numerous smaller details that both contribute to certification and importantly a long-term sustainable building.’
The architecture firm further said, ‘Alongside sustainability, an ethos of affordability and flexibility is hardwired into our design. Located just outside the City and away from Silicon Roundabout, the offices benefit from being well-connected but with the lower rents afforded by Whitechapel. Combined with the economy of prefabrication, the construction cost will total around 30 per cent less than traditional techniques, unlocking the viability of the site and enabling young businesses to flourish.’