A brand new mixed-use development is currently under construction along Nine Elms Lane, London.
The Riverlight scheme comprises the construction of 806 residential apartments – including 107 HA (shared ownership) units – along with a number of retail spaces, restaurants, bars and a crèche. Once complete, the development will also boast a 24 hour concierge, numerous leisure facilities, a business suite and basement-level car and cycle parking.
The plans for the site are divided across six pavilions, ranging from 12 storeys on the western side, to 20 storeys to the east and as over 60% of the development is accessible to the general public landscaped areas will include extensive landscaping, including a pocket park and a new river walk way.
The Riverlight scheme is being delivered by award-winning regeneration experts St James – a proud member of the Berkley Group. RSH+P is responsible for the master plan and design of the residential led development, with EPR as the architect.
The overall floor area of the private apartments is approximately 620,000 sq ft and notable features include glass lifts, whilst the pavilions create a unique ‘saw tooth’ design. The complex has been designed to incorporate a range of apartments, from suites to three bedroom units and each apartment includes at least one balcony.
Phase One of Riverlight is currently underway. At present there are over 160 members of staff working on the site and this is expected to increase to approximately 200 in early 2013.
The interior design work for the apartments is being provided by Johnson Naylor. Future tenants are being offered a choice of colour options for the bespoke bathroom and kitchen suites and additional features include underfloor heating, oak flooring, carpets and comfort cooling throughout.
Discussing the site, Operations Director, Matthew Higgs, said:
“The land was purchased in December 2009, whilst the submission of the Planning Application followed in September 2010. We achieved planning consent in March 2011 and signed the s106 one month later. Following this St James started on the demolition of the existing industrial estate.
“The occupation of Phase One (R1 & R2) is scheduled from August 2014 and the completion of the total development is 2017.”
Matthew added:
“The development is being delivered in five phases. Phase One, which is currently underway, is the basement and R1 & R2 and this phase continues to progress on programme. R3 is scheduled to commence in June 2013 and is currently scheduled to reach completion in July 2015.
“R4 is scheduled to commence in April 2014 and will be completed in May 2016. R5 is also set to commence in April 2014 but will reach completion in October 2016. Finally, R6 will commence in May 2015 and is due for completion in March 2017.
“Riverlight is a member of the voluntary Considerate Contractor Scheme and we seek to minimise disruption to the local community. A key point we agreed with the residents was the working hours on the site. We also issue a bi monthly residents newsletter which provides an update of progress and what works to expect.”
Riverlight is designed to meet the Lifetime Homes criteria and Level 3 of the Code for Sustainable Homes (CfSH). All of the buildings within the site include green roofing – designed to improve the thermal performance of the development – as well as a range of safety features, including fire alarms, smoke detectors, entrance intercom systems and CCTV within the basement car park, lobbies and throughout the estate.
In addition to the construction of the new accommodation, landscaping is a key aspect of the project and is being incorporated to set Riverlight apart from similar riverside developments. Materials that will be used throughout the landscaping scheme include natural stone setts, black granite pavers, resin bound gravel, shade trees and a water wall.
Commenting on the importance of the project, Matthew said:
“When you look at the scale of construction works currently being undertaken on the site it is really exciting to see how far Riverlight has progressed since we first launched the scheme in September 2011. I have been very lucky to be involved with such a great team.”
IFTech Ltd
IFTech Ltd specialises in the design and build of ground source heating and cooling systems for a range of projects, from large residential schemes and museums to offices and universities. The company has been in operation for more than six years, however IFTech Ltd’s parent company – based in the Netherlands – has over 20 years experience within the industry.
IFTech Ltd has provided heating and cooling systems to a number of high profile projects including the Wandsworth Riverside Quarter, 50 Grosvenor Hill in Mayfair and the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich.
At present IFTech is installing a system that will provide the Riverlight development with heating and cooling via a ground source system. The system comprises eight deep water wells all linked to specialised heat pump equipment, and will provided cooling for the entire development.
IFTech Ltd Managing Director, Nick Boid, said:
“Riverlight is a very important project for us and once complete, this will be the largest open loop ground source system in the UK.”
Nick added:
“What sets IFTech Ltd apart from its competitors is the technology that we use, along with the quality of our work. We undertake a number of high profile projects and we have a great reputation for delivering high quality work.
“At IFTech Ltd we can provide services for any medium to large scale project that has a heating or cooling demand.”
