Smugglers Way, Wandsworth

Smugglers Way has been designed with sustainability at its core and will be one of the largest residential and commercial developments in the area, which is currently undergoing rapid regeneration.

The 1.41-hectare scheme will see a mix of 554 new build-to-rent and affordable apartments spread across 13 towers, where residents will be able to benefit from far-reaching views across the River Thames, a large extensive communal area, roof gardens, and external courtyard spaces.

The development is situated along Swandon Way, the main transport artery through South West London, and only 350 meters from Wandsworth Town rail station. The site will also be home to more than 8,000m² of commercial space, including new shops, bars, restaurants, workspace, a cinema, a live music venue, a riverside park, and crossings along the River Wandle.

For a project that caters to the diverse needs of a variety of land uses in a busy London location, getting the insulation right was a must. URSAPAN BLACK was able to meet these needs.

Navigating the city streets

A project of this scale naturally comes with challenges due to the volume of work taking place at the same time. On top of this, the fast-paced, busy nature of London adds extra complications to navigate. From a logistics perspective, it is difficult for lorries to gain access to the site when supplying materials as there is limited space for them to manoeuvre on the streets.

Project manager at the design and build construction company, McAleer & Rushe, Gerald Laverty, said: “We made a conscious decision to use products that were logistically viable during the procurement stage of the scheme. URSAPAN BLACK was in keeping with this because the slabs are larger than others on the market – meaning you need less of them - and they are very dense which means they can be compressed allowing more to be transported on a pallet truck. Fewer lorries minimised disruption to other road users and helped us reduce our CO₂ emissions.”

Holly Lawless, commercial manager at building materials supplier, Walls and Ceilings International, added: “URSA engaged with us early in the project development and confirmed availability of the product for the whole three-year period of the build. This played a critical role in the decision to choose URSA. So many in the industry are struggling with supply chain issues but due to the sheer scale of the project and limited on-site storage, reliability of supply has been – and continues to be – vital in order to stay on track with the project’s tight construction timeframes.”

Making it easy

The development of Smugglers Way had tight time frames to stick to. While reassurances of supply availability was critical to help keep the project on track, actual features of the product aided in making it easier to maintain the timeline, too.

The large, dense nature of the mineral wool made it easy for workers to handle and install. In turn, helping increase worker productivity levels as they have less slabs to work with per area.

Steve Martin, contracts manager at brickwork contractor Callan Construction, said: “We found the product very easy to use. It’s compressible so easy to store and rigid so it doesn't flop about when you are building with it. Time-saving qualities like this are vital in a project of this scale where there are many aspects of development that could be subject to issues which could in turn cause time delays later down the line. Using URSAPAN Black meant we could move on to other areas of the build, such as bricklaying, without delay.”

Building for a greener future

Sustainability was at the forefront of this build. The complex has been designed to achieve a BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) rating of excellent and Home Quality Mark 4.

Quality insulation is one of the most cost-effective ways of reducing CO₂ emissions and material choice was vital to achieving these enhanced sustainability standards.

URSAPAN BLACK was able to support the sustainability ambitions because the product is manufactured to BS EN ISO 9001 Quality Assurance Systems and BS EN 14001 Environmental Management Systems.

Gerald concluded: “URSAPAN BLACK was a perfect fit for a number of reasons. It helped us meet our sustainability ambitions which has a positive knock-on effect for end-users who will benefit from a comfortable indoor climate, in turn helping to reduce their energy bills. But, as a mixed-use project, one of the biggest benefits of all, has been increased acoustic comfort for residents who would otherwise be disturbed by the busy surrounding commercial area.”