Wyvil Road

Location: Wyvil Road, Vauxhall

The redevelopment at Wyvil Road, Vauxhall, is a nine-storey mixed-use development managed by Kuropatwa as the Principal Contractor. The project transformed a former warehouse into a modern structure, featuring commercial spaces on the ground floor and basement, with aluminium-clad penthouse apartments. However, the location presented several logistical challenges, being bordered on three sides, with strict vehicle access restrictions.

Traditional methods such as Steel Framing Systems (SFS) would have required extensive scaffolding due to the height of the structure, which would have led to increased costs and delays. Given the tight site and surrounding buildings, scaffolding was not a feasible option. Additionally, as the project was in central London, managing material waste was another major concern, as space for skips was extremely limited.

To overcome these issues, Specwall was selected as the perfect alternative to SFS. The internal construction of the external walls, made possible by Specwall, removed the need for external scaffolding. This significantly sped up the build process, allowing the structure to be sealed from the elements much earlier than it would have been with traditional methods.

As noted by the project team, "Specwall proved to be the ideal alternative to SFS for this project. Building external walls from the inside saved us time, reduced waste, and made the entire process safer." The team was particularly impressed by how little waste was generated, which was crucial for a project in central London where skips and storage space were at a premium.

Once installed, the Specwall panels were quickly taped, jointed, and ready for painting, ensuring a smooth and efficient workflow. "We hardly saw any material going to skips, and once installed, the walls were ready for painting immediately, with an excellent finish." Overall, Specwall allowed for a faster, safer, and more efficient construction process, with fewer materials required on-site and reduced labour costs.