With urban space increasingly at a premium, buildings that can maximise their footprint are becoming more common. This has given rise to more mixed-use developments that incorporate residential properties, while also adding commercial amenities, such as bars and restaurants, to the surrounding area.
The Tate Residences in Hove features a block of luxury apartments and includes a bar restaurant on the ground floor and a communal terrace overlooking the historic Sussex County Cricket Club. Its developer, Roffey Homes, knew that in order to deliver on the promise of premium coastal living in a mixed-use space, it needed to overcome a key water management challenge – dealing with drainage acoustics in a high-end development. Here, we hear how plumbing and heating specialist Woods Heating Ltd worked with leading plumbing and drainage manufacturer, Wavin to provide the perfect solution.
Set in the heart of Hove is one of Roffey Homes’ latest developments, The Tate Residences. This multi-purpose building contains more than thirty apartment and penthouse properties, alongside amenities including a bar restaurant and underground car parking for residents.
This meant that a considered approach was required for the building’s utilities, particularly its water management systems. A durable, quiet, and reliable solution needed to be cost engineered to suit both the commercial and residential aspects of the development.
To deliver a soil and waste solution that could meet the varied needs of the building, Roffey Homes contracted plumbing and heating specialist Woods Heating Ltd. Company Director Marc Woods commented: “We needed to make sure that the noise from pipes was kept to a minimum, to ensure that both residents and people using the facilities didn’t encounter any distractions. Having worked with Wavin before, we knew that it could provide reliable solutions that would be up to the task.”
Wavin’s AS+ range was specified as the soil system for the project as it offers features that are designed to reduce the sound emitted from pipework. For example, airborne sound is lessened due to its high mass and wall thickness, while structure-borne sound is minimised owing to the low elastic-modulus of its flexible material.
Marc continued: “The noise of pipes is something that can often be quite far down the list of priorities for developers, but in high-end homes it is critical. The atmosphere for someone in a luxury apartment or a restaurant can be spoiled if they are forced to hear running pipes while inside, so opting for Wavin’s AS+ range was a great idea.”
A durable system
It was also important that the building’s drainage was durable enough to withstand daily, constant use and needed to work right the way through the building, down to the underground car park.
Wavin’s HDPE range has been designed to suit the requirements of a car park, as the pipes and fittings are lightweight, incredibly durable and easy to install. The products are fully welded, providing a highly resilient system to any unexpected knocks from vehicles. Crucially, it is easy to integrate with the AS+ low noise system, which makes it perfect choice for a multi-use, high-end projects such as The Tate Residences.
Collaborative approach
Delivering a project such as the Tate Residences on time requires a large number of trades working together collaboratively.
Marc explained: “We chose to work with Wavin, not only because it is a reputable manufacturer, but because we have worked with the brand before and have always been thoroughly pleased with the result. Throughout the project, Wavin was on hand to provide technical support on how to best use the products together to meet our particular requirements. Its technical team provided advice and solutions to ensure we created a low-noise and durable system. With strict project timings, the design we developed with Wavin allowed us to install the systems quickly and efficiently.”
Ben Cheal, Managing Director at Roffey Homes, commented: “When building a multi-use development, especially one which is as luxurious as this, close cooperation between the manufacturer, installer and developer is a must. With more pressure to build quicker and build better, we were happy we could benefit from these easy-to-install, end-user focused and reliable solutions.”
For more information on Wavin’s soil and waste solutions, visit: https://www.wavin.com/en-gb/catalog/Waste-Water/Soil-Waste
