Portakabin has announced that all 600 building modules that it supplied for the London 2012 Games have now been recycled and re-used to provide accommodation for other organisations around the UK – a fantastic legacy following the Olympics and Paralympics.
Portakabin was one of the first suppliers on the Olympic site, providing a three-storey building for 400 Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) staff at Stratford in 2008. This major development accommodated high specification offices, security facilities, and an extensive training centre.
Other buildings on the Olympic Park supplied by Portakabin included the Command Control Centre, which was later extended with a fourth floor for the Olympic Sponsors Office and a viewing gallery; a welfare centre; security and reception centres in both the north and south plazas; facilities for the Olympic Broadcasting Services London; and production offices and studios for the US broadcaster, NBC.
120 separate buildings were provided for broadcasting in London and on multiple sites outside the capital, including sailing in Weymouth, rowing at Eton Dorney, rafting in Essex and various football venues.
More than 200 single modular buildings and Portaloo toilet and shower blocks were also delivered as part of this highly complex project, as well as facilities for other organisations involved in the London 2012 Games, such as the London Ambulance Service, Network Rail and G4S.
The use of sustainable methods of construction was an important objective for the London 2012 Games, addressing the issue of climate change by minimising carbon emissions associated with the development. Portakabin buildings are designed to be inherently easy to disassemble and recycle when a building becomes surplus to requirements or at the end of its life, making the approach highly sustainable.
Commenting on the company’s involvement in London 2012, Robert Snook, Director and General Manager of Portakabin Hire, said, “We are very proud to have played such a significant role in the Games at every stage of its development and operation. Everyone who visited or worked at the Olympic Park had to pass through one of our complexes. With the sheer scale and number of different sites and building types involved, this was the most complex project we have ever undertaken. I am delighted to report that our hire teams in many different locations rose to the challenge and every building was delivered on time and on budget.”
“It is also a significant achievement that all the buildings were redeployed to other sites and projects just a few months after the Games closed, further reinforcing the sustainability and flexibility of our approach and reaffirming the fantastic legacy of London 2012.”
One of the organisations to have hired a London 2012 building from Portakabin is Arla Foods. A three-storey office building located at the Olympic Park was dismantled and reconstructed in Aylesbury to create a 2500m2 two-storey facility to house project, operations and engineering teams involved in the construction of the world’s largest fresh milk dairy. This building has created a high quality and attractive working environment for around 200 staff which is also in keeping with Arla Foods’ sustainability agenda.
Many of the buildings were supplied by Portakabin for London 2012 complete with air conditioning, security alarm systems, furniture, data communications, and access ramps and steps.
Portakabin manufactures a wide range of buildings for both interim and permanent applications and has the widest hire and visitor centre network in the UK. It can deliver bespoke projects and standardised accommodation solutions in the most challenging timescales, with less disruption and less impact on the environment.
For further information about modular buildings for interim and permanent applications, visit www.portanews.co.uk, email information@portakabin.co.uk or call 0845 401 0010.
