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The Royal Arsenal Riverside development in Woolwich, East London, is one of London’s most significant regeneration projects, transforming a historic military site into a vibrant mixed-use community. Situated on the banks of the River Thames and adjacent to the newly opened Crossrail station on the Elizabeth Line, the development by Berkeley Group Plc includes a mix of high-rise residential towers, commercial spaces, and key community amenities.

Wintech was appointed as façade engineering consultant for several phases of this landmark scheme, working closely with Berkeley Homes (East Thames) Limited and architects Bond Bryan to deliver innovative and high-performance façade solutions.

( ↑ ) Royal Arsenal Riverside, Phase 9

Wintech’s scope of involvement on Royal Arsenal Riverside covered Phases 9, 10, and 11 of the development. In Phase 9, the project included the design and delivery of three residential towers of up to 22 storeys. The façades in this phase utilised flat aluminium cladding panels finished with distinctive corten and copper patina treatments, creating a unique architectural character that responded to the historical context of the site. Wintech was responsible for full façade consultancy services from RIBA Stages 2 to 5, including concept design development, detailed specification writing, design audit reviews, and comprehensive site inspections to verify the quality and adequacy of the installed works.

Phases 10 and 11 involved the construction of six further high-rise residential towers, also reaching up to 22 storeys. A more complex façade strategy was employed in these phases, with two of the towers constructed using unitised cladding systems supplied by Yuanda, and the remaining towers using stick-built systems installed by Alumet. The façades featured a diverse palette of materials, including Fibre C panels, Petrarch reconstituted stone, aluminium rainscreen systems, aluminium windows, and curtain walling. A defining visual element of these phases was the use of sinusoidal profiled aluminium cladding, which added depth and movement to the building elevations.

A particularly challenging aspect of the façade design across these phases was the integration of bolt-on balconies. With reduced floor-to-floor heights and limited structural edge exposure at compartment floor lines, careful coordination and bespoke detailing were essential. Wintech worked closely with the balcony supplier and the wider project team to ensure the structural and thermal integrity of the façade was maintained, while still achieving the desired architectural intent.