Sapphire has collaborated with Be First, the regeneration arm of Barking and Dagenham Council, and urban regeneration specialists Hollybrook to deliver a landmark environmentally friendly housing development at the Transport House site in Dagenham. This project will provide 149 energy-efficient homes designed for present and future generations, reinforcing sustainability as a key principle in urban development.
Transforming a Historic Site into a Sustainable Future
Previously home to the Unite trade union, the Transport House site is being redeveloped into a vibrant residential community featuring a mix of one, two, three and four-bedroom homes. The project prioritises affordability with 31 homes at London Affordable Rent, 47 homes at Affordable Rent and 71 homes at private rent. This development marks another successful collaboration between Be First, Hollybrook and Sapphire after completing the Chequers Lane development in 2022.
Committed to net-zero goals, Be First is leveraging Modern Construction Methods to deliver sustainable homes efficiently. With 60 per cent of the development assembled off-site, the project minimises disruption for local residents while significantly reducing vehicle movements and carbon footprint.
Innovation in Construction: Overcoming Sustainability Challenges
One of the primary challenges in this project was integrating balconies into a precast sandwich façade panel without compromising sustainability benefits. Hollybrook and Be First needed to achieve high energy efficiency and reduced embodied carbon, making traditional balcony connection methods unsuitable. Sapphire provided an innovative solution by adopting a cast-in bracket system with tie-wire connections that clip onto cast-in anchors. This approach minimises penetrations in the façade, preserving thermal efficiency, eliminating fire barrier penetration, enhancing safety, triangulates forces to reduce moment loads, making the structure more efficient and reducing embodied carbon and water penetration, ensuring long-term sustainability.
A Vision for the Future
Transport House exemplifies how intelligent collaboration and cutting-edge construction methods can deliver sustainable, affordable housing while maintaining architectural integrity. “At Sapphire, we are committed to innovating sustainable solutions for modern housing developments. Working alongside Be First and Hollybrook on Transport House has been an exciting opportunity to demonstrate how prefabrication and smart design can enhance both efficiency and environmental responsibility,” said Sapphire, Head of ESG, Nick Haughton
To find out more about this project click here.
