HTA Design says Croydon tower built from ready-built pods sets new standards for high rise housing

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The scheme consists of two conjoined towers next to East Croydon station

HTA Design has said the completion of the world’s tallest modular tower in Croydon sets new standards of construction efficiency for high rise housing.

The architect behind the 135m Ten Degrees scheme for developer Greystar said the project went from first concept sketch to handover in just over three years.

Consisting of a pair of 38- and 44-storey conjoined towers located next to East Croydon station which had been vacant for decades, it was assembled using ready-built pods stacked on top of each other like “giant Lego blocks”.

> From the archive: Construction of the world’s tallest modular tower in Croydon

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It’s pre-built modular pods were assembled like ‘lego blocks’

Its 546 one- to three-bedroom built-to-rent apartments are now available with the development also including a rooftop gym, sky lounge, co-working space, private dining room, games lounge, cinema room and even a pet spa.

HTA managing partner Simon Bayliss said that the towers, which feature angled facades fitted with glazed terracotta diamonds, “challenge perceptions that modern methods of construction need be a limit on design quality”.

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Extensive use of 3D printing was used during the design phase

Building the scheme at speed required extensive use of 3D printing for rapid prototyping through the design stage.

Bayliss added that the design was heavily influenced by local buildings including Richard Seifert’s brutalist 1970 landmark No1 Croydon.

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The development includes a pet spa