Case study ETAP Hotel Hounslow

Bison Precast’s concrete products were specified by Southern based contractor Cubitt for the Etap Hotel development in Hounslow, Middlesex.

The design and build project consisted of a four-storey precast concrete cross-wall structure, housing 148 bedrooms. It comprised 550 precast concrete components made up from 430m³ of solid room-sized floor units, 3800m² of solid internal and external wall units, 240m² of sandwich wall panels, and 37m³ of staircase and landing units.

Manjot Lehall, Project Manager at Cubitts, commented: “This was my first time using both wall and floor precast structures and I will definitely use this system again. It was essential that the building was acoustically insulated. Hotels need to ensure the comfort of their guests and with this site being in the city centre traffic volumes could have caused problems. We used Bison Precast because they were able to provide a cost-effective solution that ensured sound reduction in one sweep.

The precast site construction programme lasted just eight weeks, demonstrating how concrete can meet the demands of offsite construction. Bison provided a solution that came in on budget and provided additional required qualities that other materials could not offer to the same standard, such as strength, durability and inherent fire resistance.”

Bison Precast’s Special Projects Manager commented: “We were very pleased with how the project progressed. This was the first time that insulated wall panels were manufactured at our Swadlincote factory and the first time for Bison to use these panels on a hotel project, so it was very exciting to see the project develop.

“Not only do precast insulated panels increase efficiency of heating and sound reduction, but they also reduce waste with no need for secondary trades. Bison has demonstrated how quickly and effectively precast concrete delivers solutions.”

Etap is the super-budget brand of Accor Hotels noted for its value for money and for its guaranteed standards. Worldwide, Etap is a major brand with 370 hotels and it will become a major network in the UK over the next decade. The brand has proved to be very successful in the UK and this hotel is on course to be equally popular and equally successful.