Capital House
AWW is working on this key concept project for the conversion of the existing 13 storey office building, Capital House, to provide purpose built student accommodation plus the creation of 11 four-storey student townhouses. The upper floors of Capital House will be refurbished internally to accommodate 295 student bedrooms while the townhouses will contain 128 rooms providing a total of 423 rooms across the site. The project will reinstate a key public route into the City Centre that had been rendered inaccessible by the demolition of the former shopping centre on the site, and reinforce the urban streetscape that was badly compromised by the 1970s development.
Demolition energy and initial embodied energy is substantially reduced through effective re-use of the existing 1970’s structure and concrete cladding. A passive approach to existing and new-build elements minimises energy demand to ensure that maximum impact is gained from the combined heat and power (CHP) plant and solar photovoltaic array. Regeneration of East Street – a prime artery in the city centre – is central to the success of the scheme. BREEAM Excellent is targeted.