urbanest Battersea

Urbanest Battersea is a new high quality, highly sustainable development comprising of three student buildings, dedicated commercial building, public house, café and Enterprise Business Unit (EBU). It is the first Passivhaus student housing development in London and the largest Passivhaus certified building in the UK providing 852 rooms. Led by private student accommodation provider Urbanest, the development provides modern accommodation for 852 students in the heart of London and is the first major PassivHaus student housing development in London; PassivHaus buildings have high insulation, high air-tightness and ventilation with heat recovery to significantly reduce operational carbon and improve occupant comfort and health. Passivhaus buildings have high insulation, high airtightness and ventilation with heat recovery to significantly reduce operational carbon and improve occupant comfort and health. The new commercial building achieves BREEAM Outstanding and features Mace’s Low Carbon Cassette (LCC) construction system. Located on the south side of Battersea Park Road, opposite the new Battersea Power Station development, urbanest Battersea is a carefully designed development comprising of three student buildings and a dedicated commercial building. Ranging in height from 11 to 19 storeys, the four blocks step in height and twist to open to key views with a unifying base around courtyard gardens, creating a varied silhouette. Their glazed terracotta façades in a vibrant colour palette of red, green and blue draw on the industrial heritage of the site and provide a strong marker within the neighbourhood. Opened to students last September, urbanest Battersea features ensuite and studio accommodation and communal areas designed to bring students together. Amenities include a cinema room, gym, and roof terraces offering breathtaking views across the city. The site is heavily constrained due to significant underground utility tunnels on all four sides and proximity to two major railway lines. To maximize usable space while maintaining access to underground services, the buildings cantilever approximately 5 meters above these constraints, showcasing striking canted columns that contribute to a dynamic architectural identity and create additional sheltered space while enhancing the public realm. To further reduce embodied carbon the team applied Mace’s innovative off-site LCC technology to the new commercial building. The technology uses a Cemfree concrete and low energy, Electric Arc Furnace steel in cement-free concrete cassettes which reduces carbon and waste using prefabrication. This resulted in an approximate 10% reduction in structural steel and reduced the carbon on the floor plate by 45%. The optimized logistics reduced heavy goods vehicle deliveries by approximately 40% and nearly eliminated waste during construction. Using LCC and having a precast core allowed the concrete surfaces to be exposed, increasing the thermal mass of the building. urbanest Battersea stands as an industry-leading example of what can be achieve through collaboration and commitment to excellence. The project not only provides compelling architecture but also demonstrates sustainable construction, achieved through the combined expertise of urbanest, AHMM, Henriksen Studio and Mace.