Hochtief Construction

• Project: Site Accommodation
• Client: Hochtief Construction
• Location: Loch Ness, Scotland

When Hochtief Construction were faced with a monster construction project at Loch Ness, MPH uncovered the answers in the hunt for a temporary site accommodation solution.

With the site headquarters for the new hydro-electric dam venture nestled on the picturesque banks of Loch Ness, MPH were presented with a unique and challenging project during an unforgiving winter in the Scottish Highlands.

Assigned the task of providing1600m² of site accommodation to house the main contractor and engineers for the duration of the construction works, the design team drew up plans to accommodate both new buildings manufactured to order and refurbished buildings adapted from existing stock units.

A detailed site survey was carried out and a design proposal was agreed, with the accommodation divided between a main site complex located on the shores of the loch and an additional satellite office situated on an isolated mountain plateau.

For the construction team, negotiating an access route for delivering the remote satellite office involved transporting the units via a specially constructed road, winding seven miles into the mountainside.

At 345m², the purpose built satellite office was designed and manufactured by MPH to meet the client specification. Due to the exposed site location, the roof was reinforced to withstand increased snow loadings, whilst insulation levels throughout the building were increased to help combat potentially extreme temperatures.

As a result of utilising available buildings from stock, the initial phase of accommodation for the main office complex was installed on site within just four weeks from placement of order, assisting the client in controlling costs and bringing the build programme in on budget and on time.

Comprising four separate buildings, the main complex contained a two storey contractor’s office (720m²), a single storey site engineer’s office (316m²), a canteen block (144m²) and a first aid room (86m²).