Wembley Point, an iconic building and long-standing feature of the Northwest London skyline, is being transformed into a modern live/work space. The landmark three-sided, 22-storey tower block on Harrow Road, Wembley, is one of the London Borough of Brent’s oldest skyscrapers. The state-of-the-art Build to Rent scheme, now known as WEM Tower, is set to welcome its first new residents in January 2022, and will see its developer CANADA ISRAEL partner with Spike Global, the leading resident engagement and property management software provider, to create a truly local, social community among young working professionals looking to move there.
A first for the Wembley area, an all-encompassing resident’s app will be accessed by those who will call WEM Tower home helping to create the sense of communal living that has been missed dearly during the pandemic and lockdowns.
CANADA ISRAEL Group is a real estate investing company specialising in initiating, creating and improving properties in Israel and throughout the world. For over two decades they have been designing the urban landscape in high-demand and dominant locations. CANADA ISRAEL has created a hotel-style living environment for young professionals, with 440 rental homes on offer. Ranging from 25 square metre studios to 39 square metre one-bedroom apartments, the development offers a winning combination of compact, maintenance-free and keenly priced private space in a thriving and well-connected regeneration area with an unprecedented level of services and amenities.
One of the effects of the pandemic has been a change of focus for many younger renters, who are now looking for homes that also provide a sense of community. Rather than being content with a cramped flat share, young professionals are looking for a mix of private space and community living – snapping up apartments that offer more than just a place to reside.
Spike’s property management and resident engagement portal, Spike Living, will be the gateway for residents to access all of the facilities on offer, all with a few taps on their phone. The white-labelled version of the app is completely tailored to WEM Tower, and amongst the many services and amenities available, residents can book private meeting rooms in the co-working space, join a fitness class at the gym, book a cleaning service or hair salon appointment, or get a notification about happy hour at the bar.
Ofer Feldman, Managing Partner at CANADA ISRAEL, explained: “We are creating a high-end residential development aimed at young professionals, with a range of services and facilities that match the scale of ambition shown in other local urban renewal projects, and playing our part in building for Brent’s bright future. Spike’s software is an efficient tool that provides a user-friendly interface to manage everything successfully round the clock. Spike’s technology is connecting everything together and meeting the needs of this generation of renters who are looking for far more than just a place to lay their heads.”
As well as enabling residents to manage their tenancy from their phone and enjoy the wider lifestyle on offer that WEM Tower provides, Spike Living will also connect them with their neighbours – offering a way to make new friends and develop a community.
Jeremy Heath-Smith, CEO of Spike, comments: “Studies have shown that the younger generation are looking for a home that will also be a community, and potentially a workplace and leisure venue as well. WEM Tower provides everything they need for the perfect work-life balance, and we’re proud to provide the technology to enable them to make the most of everything on offer as well as make new friends within their building.”
Built in 1965, the building was the home of London Weekend Television in the 1960s and 70s, before being used for a variety of office purposes. The residential conversion, which will open for viewing in January, will feature eight different open-plan apartment layouts with an exciting urban vibe using industrial materials including engineered oak and exposed concrete. The development is just 100m from Stonebridge Park station in Zone 3, which is served by both London Overground services and the Bakerloo Line, with journey times of just 25 minutes to Oxford Circus.
