Willow Walk

The development of Willow Walk (Previously known as Osiers Road) offers the Wandsworth Riverside Quarter a final regeneration opportunity occupying a central and extremely desirable location. The scheme has replaced dilapidated workshop buildings with a high quality residential led mixed use scheme with a new workspace hub for the area which was crucially needed, making this a model for co-location living. Additionally, this new scheme has been created as 100% affordable living and is now occupied and managed by Peabody Housing.

The area that the Riverside Quarter now occupies has a historic link with the abundance of the osier reeds that once prevailed on site. The notion of the osier and their extensive use in the weaving of baskets presented an opportunity to be used as a metaphor for the architectural language of the development, to create dramatic visual interest and connect historically to this district of Wandsworth.

‘The Osiers’ firework factory was named after the reed that once grew in the marshy field where it stood. Now that the factory and the reeds are gone the street name is all that remains in evidence of the past.

The project has incorporated a number of innovative offsite production methods. A full precast concrete façade system has been utilised which has windows and balcony stub brackets fitted prior to the façade panels being delivered to site. This approach was adopted to speed up the construction process, whilst achieving a high-quality rainscreen that can be tested for weathertightness prior to delivery on site. The intricate façade was modelled in BIM, allowing the design team to analyse every junction and interface in 3D, which ensured that all of the various compositional elements were carefully articulated with one another within the overall order. 

The IFC model was then issued to the specialist façade subcontractor who used this as the basis for their design. Once complete, their model was then issued back to the design team and imported back into the BIM model to check that their support bracketry coordinated with the building structure and internal linings. This facilitated an effective coordination process whereby spatial and technical connection details were fully resolved across the façade at design stage, enabling a rapid manufacture, delivery, and installation period. This brought considerable programme and cost benefits in comparison to traditional design, coordination and build techniques. 

Defining the character of the public realm was a key aspect to the success of the development. The careful placement of the building forms allowed us to create a wide and long central public plaza following the natural route through the site for locals and visitors to the area. This public route is lined on all sides by active areas and is car-free. Either end of the public space has different characters designed for uses at varying times of the day.

willow walk is a successful development designed by a team intent on improving the local area and maximising sustainable building methods. The simplicity of forms is brought to life by the delicacy and intrigue manifesting on the facades through the woven unitised concrete and brickwork panels.

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