The project includes the provision of three Single Living Accommodation (SLA) blocks at MOD Lyneham, comprising a total of 168 new bed spaces for trainees and staff, supporting the relocation of RAF No 4 School of Technical Training from MOD St Athan. The buildings were designed to meet the requirements of the Government policy on Modern Methods of Construction and constructed to comply with all relevant current Building Regulations, MOD JSP 850 requirements, MOD Building Performance Standards (BPS), Schedules of Accommodation and Room Data Sheets.
Project overview
Rollalong supplied factory‑built accommodation units as part of new training facilities at MOD Lyneham, helping the DIO upgrade its estate with modern, compliant living spaces. The steel-framed modules are designed for long‑term, intensive military use, with layouts optimised for comfort and operational efficiency.
Our role
The accommodation blocks were built at Rollalong’s Dorset facility under strict factory controls, making sure each module met the DIO’s technical needs and Kier’s quality standards. After completion, the modules were delivered to Lyneham and installed in a planned sequence, which reduced time on site and helped Kier keep the wider project moving with little disruption.
Why modular worked
- Reduced on‑site time, with parallel factory production and groundworks
- Consistent quality, achieved through repeatable factory processes and rigorous inspection against Defence‑sector standards
- Minimal disruption on a live military site
- Flexible layouts tailored to the DIO’s accommodation requirements
- Improved comfort for personnel, with well‑planned internal layouts
Outcome for the Defence client
The project delivered modern, robust single living accommodation that provides safe, comfortable and dignified spaces for RAF personnel stationed at MOD Lyneham. It showcases how modular construction, working in partnership with Kier Construction for the DIO, can use offsite solutions to meet demanding Defence standards.
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row module_class=”case-study-form” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_css_free_form=”.case-study-form {|| display:flex;|| justify-content: center;|| align-items: center;||}” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]For more information on this project or to find out how we can help you, complete the contact form.
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row module_class=”case-study-form” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_css_free_form=”.case-study-form {|| display:flex;|| justify-content: center;|| align-items: center;||}” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_code _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” max_width=”600px” module_alignment=”center” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_code][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]Background
Rollalong was awarded a contract worth over £100 million by Aspire Defence to design, manufacture and install 52 new high-class single living accommodation buildings for service personnel returning from Germany in 2020: the Army Basing Programme 2020.
The MoD chose offsite manufacture for this project as it needed certainty that the buildings could be delivered within the exacting time frame at cost and of the required quality. Rollalong was chosen as the preferred supplier based on its extensive experience of providing high-quality modular MoD buildings at a competitive price.
Rollalong was awarded the contract in December 2015 and design commenced in January 2016. The first modules began to roll off the production line in June 2016 and the first building was delivered to the site in November 2016.
Delivery
The project required Rollalong to design manufacture and install 1,521 modules to provide the 52 buildings required. The client, Aspire Defence Capital Works, provided the high-level scheme designs for the buildings in the contract, based on the MoD Joint Service Publication (JSP) Accommodation and Building Standards. Rollalong developed the detail designs for manufacture, ensuring compliance with the JSP scales.
By September 2018 Rollalong had manufactured half of the modules in the contract (750), had handed over 12 buildings and was working on six buildings. The first seven buildings, which provided 378 bed spaces, were officially opened in September 2017. Rollalong completed module manufacture in March 2019 and handed over the 52nd and final building in June 2020.
Manufacture and installation
In this contract, the principal contractor, Aspire Defence Capital Works, was responsible for providing the foundations, drainage, external cladding and roof, while Rollalong designed, manufactured, installed and fitted out the modules. These were manufactured in Rollalong’s factory in Dorset and delivered to the site either on Salisbury Plain or Aldershot. The modules were lifted onto the pre-formed foundations via a mobile crane by Rollalong’s own in-house specialist installation team. A typical building comprising 30 modules took five days to install and five days to weatherproof, which meant that on day 10 of the construction programme the internal rooms were ready to allow the finishing process to commence.
Module sizes vary but a typical bedroom module comprising two bedrooms, an en suite shower room and a connecting corridor is around 12.5m long by 3.8m wide by 3m high. The bedroom includes fixed furniture: wardrobes, drawers, cupboards and a desk. Lighting is provided by low-energy LED lighting and heating is via a wet central heating system.
All M&E services were installed in the factory and taken back to risers at the rear of the en suite shower rooms. Once delivered to site, the services in the discrete modules were connected together and taken back to the plant room, leaving final finishing to be completed on site.
The buildings were designed to meet the building regulations with internal compartments providing one hour’s fire resistance where applicable. The buildings were specially designed for the MoD and incorporate specialist measures to ensure that the building’s integrity remains intact under certain terrorist conditions; they are considered to be counter-terrorism compliant.
Outcomes
Rollalong won Best Offsite Project of the Year for this Project at the Constructing Excellence South West Built Environment Awards. The award recognises the outstanding work carried out on Salisbury Plain to support Aspire’s delivery for the Army Basing Programme.
Rollalong also featured in a commemorative book published by Aspire Defence Capital Works.
The book is a permanent record of the work carried out under the 2016-2020 Army Basing Programme across the Salisbury Plain Training Area and Aldershot, and Rollalong was included as one of Aspire’s key partners.
Background
The quiet Surrey countryside close to Epsom Downs is an unlikely location for cutting-edge construction projects. But it’s here at the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre at Headley Court that Rollalong delivered significant infrastructure improvements in the shape of four new buildings which improved the accommodation and the medical facilities.
Headley Court was used as a rehabilitation centre for injured members of the British armed forces from 1985 until 2018, and in 2020 it was converted to an NHS hospital to treat patients recovering from coronavirus.
Brief
One of the projects was a two-storey, 1,100m² accommodation block to provide an additional 29 beds in four-person ward rooms. The building had to be designed with flexibility in mind so that it could easily be converted from additional ward accommodation into patient single living accommodation.
Space constraints on site required the building to be constructed within a courtyard, replacing an ornamental duck pond. Time and cost were key drivers and so a modular solution was the natural choice. The total build period was less than six months from mobilisation. Factory work was completed on plan and site work was scheduled for seven days a week, enabling an early handover.
Outcome
Although a majority of the work had been completed in the Rollalong factory, work to construct the tiled roof, external brickwork cladding and external works took 12 weeks to complete. Internal finishing of the 10 ward rooms, and completion and commissioning of the M&E installation, were also carried out in this period.
Site disruption was a major concern for the client; patients at Headley Court were recuperating from trauma and so it was unthinkable that they should have their days and evenings disturbed by building work. Minimising disruption required total commitment from the team involving the client, DE, PriDE and Rollalong, at times working on trust to ensure that programmes were maintained and paperwork completed later. Clear and open communication across all parties allowed this to happen effectively.
Carrying out the majority of work offsite reduced the need for noisy, disruptive, and dusty work and kept vehicle movements to a minimum. The site was approached via a narrow corridor where all offloading and distribution activities were carried out, and the site boundary extended
to just four metres beyond the perimeter of the building. Traditional construction techniques would have faced severe logistical challenges given such a small site footprint.
Client feedback
“I am immensely proud to be associated with such a well motivated and focused team. DE, PriDE and Rollalong have delivered in record time exactly when they promised; the installation of the building took place over the May Bank Holiday to limit the disruption to patients, staff and the local community.
“When DMRC personnel returned to work on Tuesday 1st June they were impressed to see that all 20 of the modules had been installed into this very tight space. We have continued to work in close liaison with the project team to ensure effective delivery of the project. Our patients and the nursing staff who use the building are delighted with the finished product.”
Lt Col Ian McFarlane, DMRC Client Liaison
Background
In 2019 Rollalong was approached by Aspire Defence Services for assistance with the design and build of a new café for the MoD at Larkhill in Wiltshire which had to be linked to an existing building and used as an interactive learning hub. Rollalong won the contract to design and build the 283m² community hub and café.
Rollalong has a strong long-term relationship with the MoD and long-standing experience in delivering modular buildings at various MoD sites. Larkhill has been the headquarters of the Royal School of Artillery since 1915 and provides a centre of excellence for artillery training with a world-class reputation.
Brief
As the community hub and café building is to be used by both military personnel and the local community, it needed to be of a sturdy design using robust materials. The internal areas needed to be uncluttered and easy to clean while providing quieter areas for patrons to enjoy their refreshments unaccompanied.
The building contains dining, seating and meeting areas with a food servery and toilets. The building also needed to be flexible enough to allow for meetings and functions organised by the local community.
Design and installation
Our in-house design team worked with the client to ensure that the resulting design allowed for a fully functioning café while still accommodating the needs of the community. The building also required a low-maintenance exterior with a softer frontage to help better define its status as a community building.
The internal spaces were designed to accommodate patrons of all abilities with level floors, wide access points, Document M facilities and a low servery counter. Consideration was also taken to ensure that heating and ventilation were sufficient to avoid the stuffiness and condensation associated with a regimental canteen and that there were sufficient circulation spaces for the constant movement of patrons within this busy establishment.
Logistics on site were controlled and managed in co-ordination with the MoD to ensure that deliveries and crane operations did not impact on the scheduled activities of the Larkhill garrison.
Outcomes
The building is designed to be run and co-ordinated by volunteers and supported by Army Welfare Services Community Support, enabling the local community to develop skills and engage in learning opportunities created by the project. As the Army Rebasing Programme has brought many more service families to the area, it is anticipated that the community hub will improve local amenities, develop opportunities for the local community and help inspire community integration with the nearby Larkhill Garrison.
Delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, the project was completed in October 2020.
Background
Following the successful completion of the Single Living Accommodation (SLA) blocks for the British Army at Elizabeth and Alexander Barracks in Pirbright, Rollalong was appointed to construct a 70-bed SLA block at Keogh Barracks in Aldershot as a turnkey project, including all groundworks and landscaping.
Outcome
With a proven design and configuration, this project was quick to start and progressed efficiently and effectively through to completion within 10 months, thanks in large part to the close collaboration of PriDE and the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO).
This 70-bed single living accommodation block at Keogh Barracks is another example of how Rollalong can deliver volume and complex projects successfully and within a demanding timeframe. Because of Rollalong’s experience of working within active MOD facilities this turnkey project caused little or no impact to the MOD base or the local environment.
Client feedback
“DIO ABP has once again been extremely pleased with the work ethic displayed by the management and project team from Rollalong. The Junior Ranks Single Living Accommodation at Keogh Barracks had a very demanding delivery programme which caused a number of stakeholders to disbelieve that we could deliver on time and budget.
“The commitment provided by Rollalong meant all timelines and budgets were achieved. A very big thank you to all involved, especially the on-site project team.”
Scott Ross, DIO, Senior Requirements Manager
“I would like to thank Rollalong for providing a working environment that was clean, waste free and remarkably noise free. Rollalong’s communication with the regiment has been exemplary, in particular with regard to traffic management and the minimal impact on normal daily activity.”
James Founds, Warrant Officer 2, Regimental Quarter Master Sergeant