Construction begins on new Single Living Accommodation at Imjin Barracks

Due for completion in Summer 2023, the £13m project at Imjin Barracks, procured by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) on behalf of the British Army, will deliver 69 new single ensuite bedrooms, with re-designed living and kitchen/diner facilities that will enhance the communal living experience for soldiers.

The Imjin project is the first of a new wave of carbon net-zero constructions that will see major improvements to the standard of Single Living Accommodation (SLA) provided to Service people. The buildings are designed to enhance and support the needs of the military personnel that call them home.

Director Basing and Infrastructure, Major General Richard Clements CBE was joined by Rob Vining from DIO and members of the project’s appointed contractor, REDS10, and technical service provider, Arcadis, to mark the beginning of construction of a new Single Living Accommodation (SLA) block at Imjin Barracks, Gloucester.

Major General Richard Clements CBE, Director Basing & Infrastructure said:

To be present at the start of construction activity at Imjin Barracks is a moment to be celebrated. Imjin is the first site to benefit under the Army’s Single Living Accommodation Programme which will invest £1.2bn and deliver 8,500 SLA bedspaces over the next 10 years. This is in addition to the 8,000 SLA bedspaces being delivered by the Defence Estate Optimisation, Army Programme. Investing in accommodation and the lived experience for our Service personnel is an immediate priority. We have listened to our soldiers and taken on board feedback to ensure a better lived experience for our people.

The SLA Programme will prioritise the modernisation of under-invested, core sites that are to be retained across the Army estate. It will focus on removing the last of the multi-occupancy rooms whilst continuing to renew the oldest accommodation on the estate, raising the average Single Living Accommodation condition from ‘fair’ to ‘good’.

Rob Vining, DIO, Deputy Head of Major Programmes and Projects (Army) said:

I’m extremely proud to be able to mark this key milestone with the British Army, REDS10 and our technical service provider, Arcadis, as we break ground on the first of many new modern, carbon net-zero Single Living Accommodation blocks.

Not only will the new blocks mean a massive improvement in the lived experience for our Service personnel, they also continue to demonstrate Defence’s commitment to carbon net-zero by 2050.

I have been so impressed with the work my DIO colleagues and our Industry Partners have done so far and look forward to being here when we handover to the Army in Summer 2023.

The block will be built by the appointed contractor Reds10 using modern methods of construction (MMC). This means 90% of the work can be completed off site for substantially faster delivery. The accommodation is designed to achieve very low energy usage intensity. The building will have solar panels, air source heat pumps for heating and hot water and a SMART building management system that learns how the building is used through a multitude of sensor data, ensuring that the building runs as efficiently as possible.

Paul Ruddick, Chairman REDS10 added:

It’s marvellous to be part of another project working with DIO and the British Army on improving the lived experience of our Armed Forces personnel. The triple-storey building at Imjin Barracks will not only harness MMC for faster delivery but also for a lower carbon, more energy efficient and higher quality product. Perhaps most crucially though, the design and construction are being driven by how the space will be used by Service personnel.