Client: urbanest

Location: London

We’ve recently wrapped up another successful project as main contractor – this time for London’s leading student accommodation provider urbanest, at their King Cross site.

The brief: transform a long-derelict 2535 sq. ft. café space into a blank canvas, ready for a new purpose. With just four weeks to complete the job, our team had to operate efficiently and respectfully, working within restricted hours without disrupting the 600 students living on-site.

The former café had sat unused for several months. Our scope included a full strip-out of the kitchen area, which housed several heavy-duty fixtures, among them, a walk-in fridge, fixed seating, a large café counter with glass cabinets and a back bar. As part of our sustainability commitment, we partnered with a catering company to repurpose the walk-in fridge and some of the catering equipment, ensuring it didn’t go to waste.

We removed non-structural partition walls, repaired and made good existing walls & ceilings before applying a whitewashed decoration finish to all surfaces, and installing a new suspended ceiling system, creating a clean, open space with a fresh sense of potential. Our in-house workshop team also contributed a bespoke unit to discreetly conceal exposed services, enhancing the overall finish.

Working over 200 miles from our HQ, we successfully navigated the complexities of a Central London location, managing logistics, deliveries, and daily operations with careful coordination and consistent communication.

Throughout the project, we maintained close communication with the urbanest team, who visited weekly to check on progress and provide input. This strong collaboration ensured smooth delivery and alignment with their vision.

This marks our second collaboration with urbanest, following our work on the original café fitout. It’s a testament to our long-standing reputation for delivering high-quality solutions in the student accommodation sector. From full refurbishments to bespoke fixed furniture, we take pride in creating spaces that support and enhance modern student living.

Commenting on the partnership, Ana Grando, Health and Safety Manager at urbanest said: “It has been a pleasure working with JSJ UK on the strip-out of a café unit back to shell and core at one of our properties. Throughout the project, JSJ demonstrated professionalism, reliability, and strong attention to detail, ensuring everything progressed smoothly and on schedule.

Their team delivered high-quality work and a well-finished final product. Based on our experience, we have full confidence in recommending JSJ for future projects.”

Can JSJ UK design bespoke joinery solutions for your project?

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