26 CASE STUDY
consented planning permission for a 140-room hotel proved unviable. As the building heights in the area
were only governed by the aviation restrictions of the nearby London City Airport, there was an opportunity to build a large tower. Residential was seen as the best option financially, and one which City Hall reportedly welcomed – but site restrictions meant this was no simple task.
SITE CONSTRAINTS While offering a range of opportunities, the site came with numerous constraints, including its position next to the listed dock, its compact size, irregular shape, and its exposure to the elements. Most important of all however were
two London Underground tunnels running directly below it. This section of the Jubilee line, in which two tunnels create a V-shape directly under the building, was reportedly a key issue from the get-go, limiting options for ground piling in the narrow space between the tunnels, thereby preventing the structural capacity to rise as high as would be otherwise desired – the latter being necessary to make the project financially viable. In order to tackle this barrier, the
team first had to establish the maximum piling capacity possible, including the prospect of working into the exclusion zones around the tunnels – agreed by Transport for London with the caveat that construction only be carried out within restricted areas and times – and with a commitment to carefully monitor the effects of the works. With the piling capacity calculated,
it became clear that even if the building were made to be lightweight to reduce the piling necessary, a traditional core loaded structure would not suffice to accommodate the neces- sary building loads. Instead, the Canary Wharf Group
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utilised an external diagrid, which is naturally stable, transferring forces away from the tunnels. This is based on a braced steel tube system, enabling a building to resist lateral loads when designed as a hollow cantilever perpen- dicular to the ground. In effect, by using an assembly of
columns and beams – in this case in a diagrid pattern – a rigid frame is formed that amounts to a dense and strong structural wall along the exterior of the building. This exterior framing is designed to be sufficiently strong to allow the interior of the building to be simply framed for gravity loads. According to its architects, HCL, as
opposed to using a traditional core loaded building, the design resulted in
the building being 30% taller, 30% lighter, and 10% quicker to build.
A HYBRID BUILDING The rest of the above ground structure is a hybrid steel and concrete frame, which was constructed in eight-storey lifts that required tight tolerances. This core rose relatively quickly, with the diagrid structure following on closely, providing structural stability as the tower progressed. As the team moved up the building,
they utilised a number of different types of construction solutions to create the varying floor plates – all catering for the differing needs of the building’s functions. On the intermediate floors between the nodes, for example, a post tension concrete solution was utilised, which allowed for thin slabs and a reduction in the amount of reinforcement necessary and overall weight. Then, at the node floors, the team used
a steel beam solution with precast concrete slab units. This creates a deck between the buildings, which performs as a platform from which to create the next four floors of the diagrid, and separates the work above from the construction on the intermediate floors. With only four internal columns to
contend with across all these floors – all being near the building’s core – the clear- span structure allowed for large open layouts, with generous areas of uninter- rupted glazing. A further benefit introduced here, as the party walls are non structural, is that the building will permit reconfiguration at any time in the future.
A FIRST-CLASS EXPERIENCE Now completed, flats in the innovative structure have already sold well, notwith- standing the fact that with prices ascending from£1,928 pcm, the project is tailored towards the higher end of renters. The quality delivered befits this price tag however, together with the unique location and the wide-ranging amenities on offer that add desirability for thismarket. “Tenants can expect first-class amenity
spaces, designed by Johnson Naylor and dressed by David Phillips,” details Alastair Mullens, head of Vertus. “To complement these exceptional spaces, Newfoundland boasts the best uninterrupted views east, over Canary Wharf and the Docklands, or west towards the City and the rest of London,” he adds. Concluding, Mullens says the opening
of Newfoundland “marks a really exciting milestone in the evolution of the Canary Wharf estate, which many people now call home, making it a truly sustainable 24/7 city.” He adds: “It offers a truly unmatched rental lifestyle.” g
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