Lombard Wharf

Designed by Patel Taylor, the Lombard Wharf residential tower in Battersea boasts an eye-catching silhouette. The original design focuses on maximising the available provision of public space at the base of the building for pedestrian and cycle routes as well whilst preserving existing views of the river and the land. The projects distinctive twisting appearance was achieved with very subtle changes to the positioning of the white precast concrete balconies on each level.

Upon completion in 2017 the project was awarded several prizes, including Housebuilder Awards 2016 and What House Awards 2017. Barratt London were both the main contractor and developer of Lombard Wharf.

Our client Techrete was appointed to deliver the design and manufacture of the architectural precast concrete cladding for the façade. Despite the varying form, a high degree of repetition in the precast forms formwork costs. The formwork ‘masters’ changed for each set-back but were then repeated on each floor.

Whilst the outer profile of the façade is always consistent, the inner profile varies through the use of a secondary former inserted into the main formwork shutter. The inner profile is lined with a thermal break connector (concrete-to-concrete) for connection to the reinforcement in the main structural slab. The balconies feature a waterproof membrane on the upper surface and are overlaid with a composite decking system.

As the balconies form the perimeter of the building, they required a reliable supplier who would also be able to support with the balcony design. Having worked with the Construction Fixing Systems previously on various projects, including the V&A Museum in Dundee, Techrete approached CFS to provide a suitable solution for the thermal breaks.

The Thermokorb® system by AVI proved the ideal choice as this is a very flexible thermal break system that allows wide range of concrete-to-concrete balcony designs. As a trusted partner, CFS has not only the capacity to supply large projects but also the expertise to support with the structural design of the thermal breaks. With assembly taking place at CFS’s Medmenham facility, CFS is able to deliver the system within 3 weeks from design to delivery to site for casting.