Smithfield, Dublin 1
Smithfield Headline Facts:
700 natural stone faced and panels covering 5,500 square meters.
Contractor : G&T Crampton
Architect : HKR
Project Category: Residential
Satellite Circle Square, 2 Nobel Way, Manchester M1 7FA
Satellite Circle Square Headline Facts :
423 reconstructed stone panels, covering 5,226 square meters.
Contractor : Wates Construction
Architect : 5 Plus Architects
43 Hanover Riverside, Grand Canal Dock, Dublin
Riverside Headline Facts:
520 natural stone faced and reconstructed stone panels, covering 4,820 square meters.
Contractor : P. Elliott
Architect : KMD
Media City, The Greenhouse, 101-110 Broadway, Salford M50 2EQ
Media City Headline Facts:
500 reconstructed stone panels, covering 6,300 square meters.
Contractor : Lendlease
Architect : Chapman Taylor
Lewisham Gateway, London, SE13 7RZ
Lewisham Gateway Headline Facts:
1,000 GRC panels, covering 5,500 square meters.
Contractor : Sisk & Son
Architect : PRP Architects
Holyrood South, 96 Holyrood Road, Edinburgh EH8 8AJ
Holyrood South Headline Facts
136 reconstructed stone panels, covering 1,880 square meters.
Contractor : Balfour Beatty
Architect : Richard Murphy Architects
Grosvenor Street, Mayfair, London
Grosvenor Street Headline Facts:
147 brick faced panels, covering 1,378 square meters.
Contractor : Sir Robert McAlpine
Architect : BFLS
Bridgewater Place, Leeds
Bridgewater Place Headline Facts:
1,050 reconstructed stone panels, covering 11,000 square meters.
Contractor : Bovis Lendlease
Architect : Aedas
Titanic Quarter, Queens Road, Belfast BT3 9DE
Titanic Quarter Headline Facts:
1,592 reconstructed stone panels, covering 10,303 square meters.
Contractor : Harcourt Construction
Architect : Todd Architects
De Vere Gardens, Kensington, London
De Vere Gardens Headline Facts:
168 reconstructed stone panels, covering 1,600 square meters.
Contractor : Sir Robert McAlpine
Architect : David Chipperfield
Abell & Clelland, 32 John Islip St, Westminster, London SW1P 4DD
Abell & Clelland Headline Facts:
4,445 reconstructed stone panels, covering 26,071 square meters.
Contractor : Berkley Homes
Architect : EPR & DSDHA Architects
3 Pancras Square, Kings Cross, London N1C 4AG
3 Pancras Square Headline facts:
593 reconstructed stone panels covering 7,725 square meters.
Contractor : BAM
Architect : Porphyros Architects
The Finer Details:
Techrete were awarded the contract for the design, manufacture and installation of the pre-cast elements of number 3 Pancras Square. The building comprises of an architecturally complex precast concrete facade which attaches to a steel-work frame over 10 floors. The building blends effortlessly with the other projects in the Kings Cross area, complementing the other Techrete buildings surrounding it. Production began at our facility in January 2015, with the first panels arriving on-site in July 2015. The project completed in December of that year.
Chiswick Point, 1 Bollo Lane, Colonial Drive, London
Chiswick Point Headline Facts:
803 reconstructed stone panels, covering 7,332 square meters.
Contractor : Graham Construction
Architects : John Robertson Architects
Lombard Wharf, 12 Lombard Rd, Battersea, London SW11 3AY
Lombard Wharf Headline Facts:
1,239 reconstructed stone panels, covering 6,413 square meters.
Contractor : Barrett Homes
Architect : Patel Taylor
The Finer Details:
Situated on Lombard Road in Battersea, London, this 299-foot residential building was designed by Patel Taylor Architects and the construction of this exceptional build was led by Barratt Homes. With stunning views over the Thames and London City, Lombard Wharf was one of the last remaining river front sites in Wandsworth, so it was important that the building made both a positive and dynamic contribution to the capital’s skyline.
The building appears to twist as it rises, which was achieved with very subtle changes to the positioning of the white precast concrete balconies. These subtle twists were to portray an appearance of carved stone and in order to achieve both this extraordinary shape and carved stone impression, Techrete were subcontracted to design, manufacture and deliver the architectural precast concrete cladding for the façade of Lombard Wharf.
It was understood that Techrete would not only deliver this desired stone effect, but also equip the project with their extensive experience and efficiency and provide quality control for each and every balcony, resulting in both cost and time effectiveness.
As the carved stone effect was an intricate and vital element of the build, the mix selection was crucial. Selected was the creamy and light C317 mix with Mica, which added a sparkle. Finally, finished with a light acid etched finish which exposed the natural aggregate and gives the balconies a more realistic stone feel. It was cast in a two-stage process ensuring a quality finish on all faces.
The resulting building went on to win awards in the Evening Standard New Home Awards, The Irish Concrete Society Awards and the What House Awards. Additionally, Lombard Wharf was shortlisted for the Architects Journal Housing Project of the Year (over 10m) 2018.
Capital Dock, 82 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Grand Canal Dock, Dublin 2
Capital Dock Headline Facts:
1,105 brick facing, punch window panels, covering 8,279 square meters.
Contractor : Sisk
Architect : O’Mahony Pike
The Finer Details :
Completed in 2018 and situated at Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Grand Canal Dock, ‘Capital Dock’ is the tallest residential building in Ireland and with 23 floors, it is the third tallest storeyed building on the island of Ireland. Construction began on this 79 meter, landmark residential building in 2015 and took three years to complete.
Designed by OMP Architecture in a modernist style and developed by American firm, Kennedy Wilson, the total Capital Dock development spans 4.8 acres and features more than 1.5 acres of public space. The design intent was for strong simple forms to clearly reference the traditional industrial architecture of the docklands, while at the same time exuding a timeless quality.
At an early stage in the project it was decided that the facade would be formed in precast brick elements, not only for improvement of the site programme, but mainly to achieve the highest levels of quality and precision in the expression of the brickwork, through meticulous fabrication of the brick façade on the building to the exacting quality demanded for this iconic development.
The brick was incorporated during the casting phase of the panels and the resulting product benefits from all of the advantages of precast whilst maintaining the look and feel of traditional materials and techniques. Reconstituted stone was used for the cills which helped the structural make-up of the panels.
Another key feature of this brick faced project from Techrete’s perspective was the fitting of the windows off-site, some of which included Juliette balconies. This helped considerably with the main project programme as the brick-faced panels along with the windows and balconies were erected together onsite. To minimise the vertical panel joints, the panels were designed to sleeve behind one another, helping to achieve the elongated look of the design brief. The sleeving also helped to form a structural surround for the windows to be fitted off-site.
Due to the high rise nature of the build, it was necessary for Techrete to begin installing panels before the steel framework was complete and panels were installed to level 14 with a mobile crane under the concrete frames formwork. This allowed for simultaneous erection of the frame and precast panels, assisting greatly with reducing the on-site programme. The precast cladding seamlessly matched the limited area of traditional brickwork on site. The logistics of manufacturing the panels, followed by co-ordination of window / balcony fitting and finally site installation required in-depth planning and organisation.
Capital Dock won ‘Housing Project of the Year’ at the Irish Building and Design Awards 2019
Herbert Park, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4
Herbert Park Hotel Headline Facts:
525 GRC panels, covering 2,500 square meters.
Contractor : McSharry’s
Architect : O’Mahony Pike
Opus, 6 Hanover Quay, Grand Canal Dock, Dublin 2
Opus, 6 Hanover Quay Headline Facts:
Award Winner : ‘Highly Commended’ – Irish Concrete Society Awards 2020
850 reconstructed stone panels, covering 6,700 square meters.
Contractor : Cairn Homes
Architect : McCauley Daye O’Connell
The Finer Details :
Opus 6, Hanover Quay, is a landmark residential development of 120 apartments over 2,600 sqm, located in the heart of Dublin’s Grand Canal Square district. Having gained the nickname “Silicon Docks”, this area has been regenerated from a working industrial dock to become Dublin’s premier business and technology district. The design was developed as a response to the context of the site taking influence from the maritime history, evoked in the dynamic curvilinear form defined by the fluid black horizontal precast bands stretching across glazed façade.
The building cantilevers over the footpath at the front and rear, floating above the tall glass walls. This horizontal band and loop design extends from the waterfront around elegant curved corners at Hanover and Chocolate Park and into and around the ground level and individual lobby entrance door of the inner courtyard. The curtain wall façade with continuous glazed balustrades and curvilinear polished reconstituted stone, reinforces the maritime aesthetic that was key to the scheme. The heavy black, curved panels appear to float over-head, giving the building an exciting and distinctive dynamic.
Techrete were engaged by Carin Homes to design, manufacture and install the precast elements of the striking facade of this McCauley Daye O’Connell designed project. Techrete were chosen for our efficiency in terms of material use, time and quality control that this highly engineered building required, which would otherwise be difficult to achieve.
Techrete’s black mix with a polished finish consists of black basalt, sands and aggregates. Additionally, white cement was used to guarantee consistency of colour and finish between the panels. The elegant tight curved panels were all hand polished. Specially designed moulds were created to overcome the complex geometry of the black precast facade and contrasting white balcony designs. In addition, the panels could only be installed after the glazing which required precision handling. The panels were erected with tight tolerances as any slight movement could have caused breakages to the glazed curtain wall elements.
The concrete floors above ground level consist of post-tensioned slabs, which allows for slabs which use over 20% less RC concrete to be utilised throughout, representing a significant reduction in the overall carbon footprint. This highly engineered construction further allowed the building to cantilever beyond the extent of the ground floor, while still supporting the dynamic precast stone loops providing views and forms, that would otherwise have been unachievable.
Gallery Quay, Grand Canal Dock, Dublin 2
Gallery Quay Headline Facts:
500 reconstructed stone panels, covering 4,400 square meters.
Contractor : Pierse Contracting
Architect : HKR Architects
Tapestry, 1 Canal Reach, Kings Cross, London N1C 4AZ
Tapestry Kings Cross Headline Facts:
2,400 GRC panels, covering 9,000 square meters.
Contractor : Kier Construction
Architect : Niall McLoughlin Architects
The Finer Details:
This is perhaps one of the most distinctive buildings in the Kings Cross development set along St. Pancras Lough.
It is a mixed use structure combining, residential, retail, bars, cafes and a multi-storey car park. The influence for the design of this building comes from ancient Assyrian textiles, along with other patterns from ancient Egypt right up to the twentieth century.
In addition, the building features intricate tapestry like grooves, which draws inspiration from the past when lavish tapestries would be hung on buildings to separate the outside from the inside. Techrete have a long established relationship with the architect. This was developed when they worked on the Olympic Athletes Village together and created reproductions of the Elgin marbles. The process Techrete developed involved using CNC machines to create the moulds and the methodology developed on the Olympic Village project was employed in this project. This method allowed Techrete to create sharp formal patterns using concrete moulds and the resultant intricate pattern on the panels, gives them an almost sculptural quality.
The precast elements were created with a Techrete bespoke deep red mix of GRC. The balconies were manufactured off site and were erected as individual complete units.
Pan Peninsula, Isle of Dogs, London
Pan Peninsula Headline Facts:
1,900 reconstructed stone panels, covering 18,000 square meters.
Contractor : Ballymore Properties LTD
Architect : Skidmore Owings and Merrill