Collegiate AC is an exemplary operator of award-winning student accommodation in the UK & Europe. Cosgrove & Drew is proud to support them with the servicing and maintenance of their plumbing and heating systems across 14 student accommodation properties.
Shortly after we secured the contract, Collegiate highlighted an ongoing challenge with the hot water system at their 350-bed Castle Street accommodation. For more than two years, students had experienced intermittent hot water, often going for extended periods without any hot water at all. We were asked to provide an expert assessment of the issue, before identifying a fit-for-purpose solution that can provide readily-available hot water.
The Castle Street accommodation had previously been a council building, giving Collegiate an inherited hot water system. As well as being outdated and aged, the infrastructure was also not suitable for a building of this size. This meant that the system would never cope with student demand for hot water, often failing completely.
As well as accounting for high demand, the proposed solution had to fit within the existing fabric of an old building, restricting the space available for a new install. We recommended and ultimately installed two new max flow water heaters from Andrews, which are able to deliver an extremely high volume of heated water from a small unit that requires limited footprint. The result is significantly increased capacity that exceeds student demand, and ensures Collegiate maintain their well-deserved reputation.
The client commented, “At Collegiate, we hold ourselves to high standards for our students, wanting to ensure they have an exceptional experience away from home. The infrastructure at Castle Street was struggling, but previous attempts at resolving the issue had failed, creating an ongoing problem for more than two years. Cosgrove & Drew not only provided excellent advice, but they supported us to transfer system with minimum disruption. The accommodation remained fully-occupied throughout, and their engineers remained onsite 24/7. They were able to commission the system and install the necessary infrastructure, before making the ultimate switch. There was less than six hours disruption to students, most of which happened overnight when demand is lower. We are absolutely delighted with the results."