Balfour Beatty is believed to be preferred contractor to build student halls for the Royal College of Music in west London.
The project is due to get underway in July, once the current academic year is over and will see demolition of the existing student residence comprising 168 rooms.
The builder will replace the four-storey 1970s building at 220-238 Goldhawk Road in White City with a 5-storey complex of 413 largely self-catered rooms and manager’s flat.
According to planning documents Balfour has come up with an off-site modular construction plan to meet an extremely tight building programme to open the new halls for students in September 2015.
The modular units will be delivered with full M&E services, completed finishes and furniture, removing wet trades from the project and significantly reducing the amount of stud and plasterboard works.
The new building, designed by T P Bennetts, will be rated BREEAM ‘Very Good’ with a combined heat and power plant, which will be supplemented by a series of photovoltaic panels on the roof.