Monarch Court was a disused care home that received a dramatic new purpose: it became Hackney’s first youth hostel for homeless young people, and the first new youth hostel in London in several years.
With 87 bedrooms designed to serve over 2,000 vulnerable young people across 15 years, the transformation had both social and logistical importance. To deliver it successfully, Kind & Co appointed GCL as the electrical and structured cabling partner, leveraging GCL’s expertise in multi-occupancy building refurbishments.
To meet the technical and safety needs of this highly sensitive setting, GCL was tasked with:
Managing a fully integrated electrical and comms fit-out
Performing full surveys of the building’s electrical, lighting, fire alarm, and telecoms infrastructure
Replacing outdated systems with modern, carbon-reducing alternatives
Ensuring safety for staff and residents throughout installation
Providing full project support from design through to ‘soft landing’ handover
This large-scale retrofit presented multiple challenges:
Reconfiguring an existing, aged building meant navigating unknowns
The existing electrical system lacked the capacity for modern equipment
Timescales were tight, but work had to avoid disruption to other contractors
Most existing safety systems (including alarms) were non-compliant or outdated
GCL devised a complete infrastructure package and worked alongside other teams to deliver it with minimal disruption:
CCTV system with 47 internal HD cameras and 13 external monitoring points
A 64-channel recording suite linked to all camera feeds
Door entry and alarm system with keypad, entry phone and alarms in disabled toilets
A full fire alarm system with 200 Apollo detectors and ‘see at a glance’ control panels
A modern telecoms suite and cabling for office and operational spaces
New heating system and plant room installation
High-efficiency T5 lighting throughout all communal spaces, with contactor-controlled kitchen power
Thanks to detailed planning and expert installation, the work was completed on time and on budget.
A one-stop, hassle-free infrastructure solution for the entire site
Energy-efficient systems that meet modern building and safety standards
Simultaneous installation of all structured cabling, fire safety and security systems
Top quality finish, delivered with minimal disruption to a live multi-contractor environment
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