Oxford Architects have carried out car park feasibility studies for in excess of 30 station sites for Great Western Railway. During the course of these studies we have become increasingly aware of the advantages of modular decked car parks.

Faced with costs in the region of £1.5m for a temporary off site car park, Oxford Architects embarked on a feasibility study to accommodate spaces within a temporary modular deck within the confines of the existing car park but outside the foot print of the new multi storey car park. We identified a site area that could accommodate a temporary deck without impeding the construction of the new car park. The area could accommodate 430 temporary spaces. Oxford Architects produced a performance specification for a temporary modular solution. The highest scoring tender return was for £1.4m, with a construction period of 4 months. At the end of the project the car park kit remains the property of GWR. They have options to re-use at another site, sell or realise the scrap metal value. Although the cost of the temporary deck was slightly cheaper, especially when considering the benefits of ownership, the main advantage of the option was customer experience. The temporary deck was located on the site of the existing car park with no requirements for shuttle buses and increased car to station journey times

Through wide experience of other similar projects and a genuinely open minded attitude to option appraisals, Oxford Architects assisted the client in realising a solution that was not originally considered and is proving to be practical, cost effective and customer focused.

• Modular re-locatable solution
  
• No foundations required
• Fast Track solution, programme completed within 6 months