Eastwick Row, Hemel Hempstead

Eastwick Row is a new social housing development scheme in Hemel Hempstead, part of the Dacorum District in Hertfordshire and the Greater London urban area. The main contractor for Eastwick Row is Jarvis Contracting Ltd, who are delivering the project on behalf of the Dacorum Borough Council.

Upon completion, currently set for late 2023, the new scheme will provide Hemel Hempstead with 36 new 1 and 2 bedroom apartments, encompassed in a contemporary 7-storey building. A selection of the apartments will be fully wheelchair accessible, with the new building designed to complement 2 pre-existing apartment towers. The development will also supply private car parking for residents and landscaped open spaces for the local community.

metroSTOR worked closely with the scheme in order to provide enhanced external storage facilities for residents that would replace the outdated pre-existing storage units. Planning requirements for the development included the incorporation of a masonry finish, with the design flexibility of metroSTOR PTM Outdoor Storage Units enabling this requirement to be facilitated with all the benefits of a modular unit.

Clad across the rear and side elevations was Himley Ebony Brick Slips by Ibstock; the UK’S leading brickmaker. 30no. metroSTOR PTM Storage Units have been installed sequentially alongside the newly established car park in 2 blocks of 18 no. and 12no. units, providing an easily accessible, multi-use storage system for new residents.

Installed in close proximity to the pre-existing apartment buildings were 12no. metroSTOR PTM Outdoor Storage Units and 2no. metroSTOR PBH Bin Store Buildings. Bespoke configurations were correspondingly applied to the unit’s external cladding, incorporating a freestyle upper panel with a perforated pattern, in addition to ebony brickwork to the side elevations of the outdoor storage units.

Enabling further design coordination across the entire installation were 2no. metroSTOR PCH Cycle Stores, each offering space for 40 individual cycles and utilising CENTAUR ST Cycle Stands. Secure external cycle storage is increasingly an essential addition to modern housing provisions, offering an effective solution for residents of apartment buildings where impractical internal storage conditions can contribute towards a fire safety risk. Storing items in communal hallways and stairwells can cause obstructions to designated fire safety routes and is a concern that is often highlighted in fire risk assessments. Establishing external storage that reduces fire risks and reduces opportunities for theft has therefore developed into a principal consideration for modern housing developments.

In order to reduce the fire risks associated with mobility scooter charging and storage, metroSTOR provided 3no. metroSTOR PSM Mobility Scooter Charging Units, each offering space for 2 individual scooters. With a selection of apartments at Eastwick Row designed to be fully wheelchair accessible, the units offer a secure, easily accessible storage and charging facility for users that is protected from the elements within a compact footprint.

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