OCON’S TOPPING OUT BRING WINE TO VINE COURT
Designed by Architects Stride Treglown, the 710-unit residential scheme will provide a mix of en-suite study bedrooms, studio apartments, two-bedroom apartments and duplex ‘loft’ apartments when it completes in June 2012, along with a 250-seat restaurant, a cafe and retail accommodation. A high specification scheme that will play a key role in the university’s accommodation strategy, it has been designed to provide a benchmark for sustainable student living and it incorporates landscaped public spaces to enhance integration between students and local communities.
Experts in student accommodation schemes, Ocon has already completed a substantial number of student units during 2011 and remains on programme at Vine Court. The company carried out an ancient topping out ceremony believed to have first been celebrated in Persia five thousand years ago involving the sprinkling of wine, oil, corn and salt onto a concrete block, symbolising wisdom, liberty, prosperity and hospitality. A yew branch is then placed on the wet concrete to ward off evil spirits and the concrete block will be incorporated into the completed building.
Sprinkling the salt onto the concrete block Ocon’s managing director Andrew Barker said: “The University of Liverpool has an excellent reputation and a vibrant student community and this iconic development will provide a symbol of the university’s quality, progressive approach. We are delighted to be involved in such a prestigious scheme and to be here to celebrate this milestone in its construction today.”
Steve Dickson, director of facilities management at the University of Liverpool sprinkled the corn on the concrete block and added: “This is a landmark project for the university that will enhance our world class facilities. Ocon’s wide ranging experience of mixed use student accommodation schemes made them a natural choice as our contractor and we’re very pleased with the progress to date.”
