Riverside Commercial

Riverside Commercial is a simple but elegant building providing flexible light industrial and office space, forming the first phase of a larger planned development on the site. Located immediately east of the River Wandle, the building itself is an “L”-shaped five-six storey reinforced concrete frame, utilising flat slabs with stair/lift cores providing lateral stability. The structural design has been made as lean as possible and adopts high quantities of cement replacement to minimise embodied carbon.

Building services have been designed to deliver specification to Category A. Cooling is provided via Virtual routing and forward (VRF)/multi-split type units with natural ventilation provided to offices spaces and dedicated air handling units (AHUs) serving toilets and changing areas. Incoming utility services have been upgraded and supplemented with the provision of roof mounted PVs. Acoustic design advice informed the selection and application of the architectural finishes and detailing to avoid noise transmission between units.

Paul de Vere, civil lead on the project, said “From the outset, the site presented several challenges for the civils team, not least the site being located within National Flood Zone 2. Early engagement with the Environment Agency greatly benefited in establishing what development would be permitted next to the river. The ‘More Vulnerable’ residential accommodation was carefully positioned above predicted flood levels that accounts for climate change ensuring residents and their property are kept safe and dry during a flood event. The whole flooding strategy was captured in a comprehensive Flood Risk Assessment presented as part of a successful planning application.