Ten Degrees, London Borough of Croydon

Project summary

Sector

Build-To-Rent

Developer

Tide

Contractor

Tide

Volumetric manufacturer

Vision Volumetric

Key partners

Greystar, Henderson Park

Architect

HTA Design

Location

London Borough of Croydon

Programme

26 months

Status

Completed in 2020

Homes

546 apartments

Site size

2,200m²

Storeys

44 and 38

Height

135m

Volumetric units

1,526

EPC

A

BREEAM

Excellent (commercial units)

Back to all projects

Ten Degrees

Delivered in just 26 months, Ten Degrees pushed back the boundaries of off-site technology, going higher than volumetric construction had ever gone before. At the time of completion, Ten Degrees was the world’s tallest volumetric building.

At 135m high, Ten Degrees is a groundbreaking feat of engineering and construction. The world’s first volumetric building over 40 storeys, it comprises more than 1,500 volumetric units, each with its own bespoke steel structural design tailored to its position in the building.

Project summary

It also shows that volumetric construction can deliver beautiful architecture. From the sculpted colonnade to the glazed terracotta facade, every detail is carefully considered and meticulously executed – echoing Croydon’s fine collection of mid-century modernism.

The two connected towers of 38 and 44 storeys deliver 546 high-quality homes to a strategically important city-centre site, which had lain vacant for 28 years. On a highly constrained 0.2ha footprint – next to London’s third busiest station and hemmed in by bus and tram lines – now stands a prestigious build-to-rent development, complete with rooftop terraces, gardens, gyms and an enhanced public realm.

Vision Volumetric Systems has championed the use of modular construction in buildings greater that 100m tall, bringing offsite construction legitimately into the realm of skyscrapers.

Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat

Rising to the challenge - The construction of Ten Degrees

Small footprint, big impact

Volumetric delivery saved 24,229 tonnes of embodied carbon on the project – through less waste, fewer vehicle movements, and the highly efficient, bespoke structural units. By providing 546 A-rated low-energy homes on brownfield land, we have also equipped Croydon for a more sustainable future.

40 %

embodied carbon reduction, compared to RIBA BAU and LETI Band E benchmarks

10 %

improvement on RIBA 2025 and LETI Band C benchmarks

Whole life embodied carbon savings equivalent to:

Rapid regeneration

From site excavation to completion took just 26 months – a programme saving of 42% on traditional construction. More than 1,500 volumetric units were delivered fully fitted to the site and installed using two cranes stationed on top of each concrete core, minimising disruption to the busy central location.

Turning up the volumetric

Ten Degrees was the project that turned high-rise volumetric development from aspiration to reality.

1,526

units installed in 35 weeks

21

completed homes per week

1.5

floors a week on each tower

Volumetric programme benefits

By building using the volumetric system, the development programme can be drastically reduced. Although volumetric units account for most of the total building area, they can be installed much more efficiently as per the diagram below:

Ten Degrees has won

Related projects