10 October 2022 · By Fran Williams. Photography by Tim Crocker

The 14-storey tower comprises 65 homes and a commercial ground floor unit in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets

The scheme, which received planning back in 2014, seeks to enhance the existing local community by delivering an integrated, high-quality, development that takes advantage of its location in Wapping, east London.

Set within a chamfered concrete plinth, its ground-floor commercial unit is sheltered under a deep cantilever creating an identity to this commercial space.

The brick and precast stone Ensign Court development also has an onsite energy centre and its homes achieve CfSH Level 4.

It features a façade that unifies its three volumes with a wrapping consisting of horizontal precast profiled banding.

A landscaped podium courtyard provides amenity and doorstep play opportunities, creating a buffer between new and existing buildings. An enclosed roof garden with views over London has integrated seating areas for residents’ use.

Ensign Court is a new integrated community of affordable rent, shared ownership and market sale homes, including wheelchair adaptable dwellings, all designed to the same standards inside and out regardless of tenure, in a variety of one, two and three-bedroom apartments.

Ensign Court is a ‘corner building’ defined by a 14-storey tower. Its massing follows the perimeter of the site boundary, stepping down on either side to six and four storeys to knit into the grain of the adjacent streets. The building was carefully designed to sit harmoniously next to the adjacent locally listed building on Dock Street and the low-rise scale of Ensign Street, while the tower element steps up to engage with the taller emerging context.

The façade design unifies the three volumes into a cohesive building by wrapping around strong horizontal precast concrete profiled banding, scaling the building down and creating an order to the façade. A playful pattern of generous fenestration in the form of juliette windows and inset balconies is arranged in between the horizontal banding, allowing differently sized apartments to imprint a particular rhythm to the façade.

The light and variegated stock brick seeks to sympathetically relate Ensign Court to the established urban fabric of the neighbouring conservation area and the Dock Street church. It allows for a robust materiality that will weather gracefully requiring little future maintenance.

A ground-floor commercial unit is sheltered under a deep cantilever that gives it a special character and identity while offering a widened footway to pedestrians on the busy road.

The design encourages a sense of community among residents, incorporating as much communal amenity as possible in a limited footprint. A landscaped podium courtyard provides visual amenity and doorstep play opportunities, creating a soft buffer between new and existing buildings. A generous enclosed roof garden integrates seating areas for residents’ use, benefiting from fantastic views over London. Maria Joao Reis, senior associate, Maccreanor Lavington

The site for Ensign Court in St Katharine Dock creates a unique opportunity for blending old and new architectural styles and materials. The scheme is located less than 10 minutes walking distance from some of London’s most iconic historical monuments – Tower Bridge and Tower of London – while also offering excellent links into the City and London’s prime financial quarter.

It was integral that the new building was considerate of place identity and the existing local heritage in its relationship to neighbouring existing buildings. The architects achieved this through a  collaborative approach and engagement with the local community.

Maccreanor Lavington has managed to create high-quality communal spaces for residents living in the building despite the constrained site. These amenity spaces, accessible to all residents, include landscaped areas to help enhance biodiversity and promote residents’ wellbeing and reconnection to nature. Jacqueline Esimaje-Heath, development director for growth, L&Q

Location Wapping, London Completion date May 2021 Gross internal floor area 4,290m2 Gross internal + external floor area 7,465m2 Construction cost Approx £18.6 million Project value Approx £31.9 million Architect Maccreanor Lavington Executive architect Frank Reynolds Architects Client London and Quadrant Structural engineer MLM M&E consultant Waterstone Design (pre-planning), Calford Seaden (delivery) Planning consultant DP9 Landscape consultant Landscape Projects Acoustic consultant ARB Project manager and cost consultant Calford Seaden Main contractor Engie CAD software used Engie

Tags L&Q Maccreanor Lavington mixed-use Wapping

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