Location
Leeds
Client
Olympian Homes
Architect
OEA Architects
Completion
September 2021
Project Summary & Objective
Altus House is set to become the tallest building in Yorkshire and the North East of England once construction is finished in 2021. The development for Olympian Homes will provide 752 student beds over 38 storeys and reach a staggering 114m in height, offering its lucky students uninterrupted views of the city and surrounding areas, particularly at the roof terrace on the 35th floor.
Key Challenges
The site constraints presented the main challenge for this scheme as the footprint is very restricted and bounded on all sides by highways/other buildings. Achieving lateral stability of a slender building was a critical design consideration.
Construction sequencing was also a major challenge and the logistics of building the structure were given careful consideration, with designs being carried out for numerous temporary construction cases. The tower crane scheme presented a key challenge due to the forces involved and the need to tie the crane to the building during the construction period.
Solution
The structural solution included a reinforced concrete core located as centrally as possible whilst still being sympathetic to the architectural layouts, working in tandem with flat slabs and reinforced columns to resist significant lateral loading due to wind forces. A wind tunnel test was carried out to ensure accurate loading was used in the design, and to assess the dynamic response of the structure.
The construction sequence involved a slip-formed core with temporary support from internal slabs, with the tower crane tied to the core and floor slabs at two levels.
The scheme is currently under construction and groundworks are progressing well. The slipform core is due to commence at the end of May 2019, with floorplates following on during the summer.