Murray Grove 

Murray Grove effortlessly marries architectural excellence with great constructional innovation. It is popular with residents and economical to maintain.

Dickon Robinson, Development Director, Peabody

Client  Peabody
Location  Hoxton, London
Completion  1999
Cost  £2.3m

Services

  • RIBA stages 1-6
  • Architectural design
  • Interior design
  • Advice on offsite construction

Awards

  • Civic Trust Award
  • Housing Design Award
  • RIBA National Award
  • Royal Fine Art Commission Trust Millennium Building of the Year – Housing
  • Structural Steel Design Award for Innovation
  • Design Council Millennium Products Award
  • American Institute of Architects – UK Design Award
  • Estates Gazette Architecture Award Commendation
Murray Grove

Won in competition, this project in Hackney, East London was the first of its kind to use innovative steel framed modular construction techniques to improve construction quality and to radically reduce time on site. The high quality steel framed room modules were manufactured and fully fitted out by Yorkon in a British factory. The project was handed over with zero defects, and was on site for just 6 months.

30 spacious dwellings were created for key workers. Living spaces look south-east and south-west into a landscaped courtyard. There is a large communal garden to the rear, and all flats have dedicated sunny, south-facing exterior space. The flats are very well-insulated, meaning they are economical to heat, with residents spending as little as £250 a year on fuel.

When Building Magazine visited the scheme in 2006 they found it was exceeding all expectations of both the client and end-users. The Building Manager reported: "In this financial year, with two months still to run, the total repairs and maintenance cost, along with redecorating and replacing white goods in vacated flats, is £7,000." This is just less than 20% of the typical annual maintenance bill for a block of flats this size.

Murray Grove

Murray Grove
Murray Grove

Using principles more associated with car production, the building was almost totally constructed offsite using modular units that were fully fitted out in a factory and then assembled on site in just ten days.

Murray Grove

Murray Grove
Murray Grove
Murray Grove
Murray Grove
Murray Grove
Murray Grove