Highpoint

Project
Summary

Highpoint is one of the largest private rental developments in the capital for decades, with 457 apartments.

The development design includes a compact, slender tower, accentuated by suspended corner balconies that offer panoramic views of London.

As well as having residential units, the project also includes a new 180 seat theatre space for the Southwark Playhouse, a café and further retail and marketing spaces.

Scope

Unitised Curtain Walling;

Stick Curtain Walling, entrance doors;

Opening vents;

GRC Rainscreen cladding;

Opening vents;

Steel “bolt-on” Balconies with glazed balustrades and dividing screens;

Soffits, Louvres and Doors;

Key
Facts

• 47 Storey Building

• Façade surface 16,000m2

• 204 ISO containers delivered to the site

• Largest elements 7.5m wide *3.2m high

• 172 Off-Site pre-assembled steel balconies (7.5m wide * 3.5m depth)

Facing
challenges

The design intent and project constraints demanded the use of exceptionally large factory pre-fabricated curtain wall elements (7.5m x 3.2m), and also very large balcony assemblies (7.5m x 3.5m).

With such a confined site the project team had to both plan their strategy in intricate detail and then work closely together on a daily basis to ensure the logistical and installation process for these large components was highly efficient.

Managing
Risks

The specialist means of lifting and accurately positioning these large factory prefabricated balconies (with their multiple fixing points) was a high-risk activity.

A full-scale prototype of a complete balcony and fixing system was constructed at our factory in China, to both develop and trial a safe method of installation for these large balconies.  This prototype allowed actual tolerances and deflections to be measured during lifting, and alignment issues to be addressed, thus ensuring the installation on site went smoothly from the very beginning.

Reliably sealing the hundreds of balcony steel penetrations through the curtain wall on site was also considered another key risk for the project.  To address this issue, a design was developed where the balcony connectors through the curtain wall where factory pre-fitted and sealed, thereby avoiding the need to seal these penetrations on site.

Saving
Time

The balconies were partially assembled at our factory in China, with the final assembly completed off-site in the UK (including the pre-fitting of glass balustrades, decking, and dividing screens).

The finished balconies were then delivered to site and installed directly onto the tower.

The resulting programme benefits for the project proved to be substantial, with a 30-week reduction in the balcony installation period.

Testimony

“Yuanda performed very well on the project, and completed their works efficiently and within the timescales requested of them whilst maintaining a solid working relationship with the Mace Team, despite a number of challenges we faced during the construction works.  Yuanda completed on-time, had a very good safety record during their works, and their site team was competent and well organised providing a final product with no quality issues”

Guy Hunt

Operations Director, Mace