Knightsbridge, London

‘Modular in, Modular out’ – M-Trays® transform construction welfare huts in Knightsbridge

Skanska currently has a three-year ongoing construction project in Knightsbridge, which required the installation of welfare huts centred in the heart of a thriving network of London townhouses and flats.

The residents in Knightsbridge voiced their concerns about overlooking a set of steel huts for three years. They felt they would be unattractive to view every day and also become quite noisy due to reverberation off the hard surfaces of the temporary structures and surrounding brick buildings.

The all-encompassing solution? M-Tray® – our modular green roof system

Being a temporary installation, every element of this site needed to be as easy to take out as it was to put it in. Our M-Trays®, being modular and portable, can just be unclicked and lifted away upon completion of the construction process.

The steel huts were wheeled into position on-site on skates and fitted into place. They were then covered with an EPDM waterproofing membrane. Then they set out to beautify the huts.

The first step in this process was to lay down a layer of geotextile onto the flat roofs. The 500mm x 500mm M-Tray® units were delivered to site on pallets and moved to the side of the huts. They could be easily carried up the stairs by hand and installed within minutes, saving on time and installation costs.

The M-Tray® modular system clicks easily together allowing the sedum vegetation to blend quickly, promising to transform these once-cold grey utilitarian roofs into a much more appealing sight for the surrounding residents.

All of the elements required for the job: geotextile membrane, aluminium edging bar, corner correctors and the M-Trays® units themselves, were supplied by Wallbarn and delivered next day.