Industria
Delivering the first 'last mile' industrial development in London.
The design and build of the first ‘last mile’ industrial development in London with over 45 units across three storeys and serviced by a helical ramp.
This innovative, multi-storey industrial development provides a community of 45 light industrial units and maker spaces over four storeys.
Key points
Situated in a built-up industrial area, the new building encompasses the entire site footprint and is landlocked with two sides of the site surrounded by live neighbouring businesses, and roads on the remaining sides.
The project is split into North and South buildings with a shared central service yard on each floor level, which is accessed through a new bell mouth entrance leading to a helical ramp. Seven metre tall ‘shopfront’ units and a new public cafe and business hub occupy the ground floor and a rooftop breakout space provides spaces for tenants to meet, eat and socialise, helping to foster collaboration.
Works also included the installation of a new substation. The steel frame was clad in a mix of textured precast concrete panels, curtain walling and profiled metal cladding panels.
The limited site footprint and constrained site boundaries presented several logistical challenges. McLaren designed the construction sequence to split the site into six zones, completing construction of the steel frame and helical ramp adjacent to the party wall boundaries first, before continuing outwards towards the two roads. The subsequent stages of construction repeated this pattern.
The restricted site required a complex phasing strategy. An early coordinated review of façade design identified buildability issues which McLaren managed through alternative (lighter) façade materials with minimal impact on the aesthetic aspirations.
The steel structural frame is externally clad in textured pre-cast concrete panels and curtain walling to the ground floor, with profiled metal cladding panels to the upper floors. The internal deck-facing façades are patterned, colourful profiled corrugated metal.
Delivered to BREEAM Excellent, the project boasts solar panels on the roof and the open deck ends are screened by metal framing with planters at each level to create a live green wall.
Our project team achieved a perfect Considerate Constructors Scheme score of 45 out of 45 on this site, receiving an ‘Excellent’ performance level certificate.
