Castle Lane, located in the conservation area of Westminster, is undergoing redevelopment as part of an affordable housing scheme. RDG was commissioned to design temporary works structures for the redevelopment of three residential blocks and a single-story building.
The redevelopment required hollowing out the buildings to allow for internal structural alterations. The client adopted a top-down demolition approach and a bottom-up construction method for the new works. As part of this, a façade retention system was designed to support up to five floors of the building façade, as well as the parapet and chimney.
The design preserved the lateral load path of the existing structure, facilitating the top-down demolition while avoiding the need for new foundations in the already congested site. A gap between the façade and horizontal walers was incorporated to allow the installation of new structural columns without compromising the load path. Since the façade was not horizontally flush, the walers were cranked to follow the building’s geometry. A bespoke bracket was designed to mitigate tension forces in the anchors, preventing potential damage to the masonry. Extensive 3D modelling was used to assess the structural behaviour, and wherever possible, the design was refined to reduce material requirements, creating a more economical solution.
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