Sugar House Island used Wienerberger clay brick pavers to unify diverse buildings in an urban regeneration project.
Creating unity: the paving challenge
Sugar House Island is a major new 26-acre riverside community in one of London’s fastest growing neighbourhoods. The award-winning vision will see the delivery of 1,200 new homes, 624,000 sq. ft of office space and 40,000 sq. ft of retail. The vibrant mixed-use community already includes over 700 residents and close to 20 businesses including a pioneering dance and music hub, co-working space, bicycle repair services, a gin distillery bar and restaurant, a gym and a convenience store.
The developer, Vastint UK, worked with nine different architects across the site, a deliberate decision to introduce variation into the look and feel of the buildings as well as the spaces between them. This posed the challenge of integrating various buildings and structures into a single cohesive neighbourhood while preserving the heritage of the area.
Solution
Wienerberger’s clay brick pavers were selected by the project’s architect, Planit, as a solution to unify the different architectural approaches to every building.
Dominic Fitzsimmons, Principal Landscape Architect at Planit, said: “The natural warmth and rich colour tones of the brick, combined with their unique colour variations, fit in with the heritage and character of Sugar House Island perfectly. No two bricks are the same, giving a special touch to the character of the scheme, as well as an instant heritage feel. The brick can be laid quickly too, which benefitted the project timeline.”
Results
The clay brick paver enhances the visual appearance of the 26-acre site, with the brick performing particularly well in areas such as the residential courtyards.
Dominic continued: “Wienerberger’s clay brick paver has balanced the unique architectural styles of every building perfectly and unifies the individual building plots. Its continental character suits the rest of the development well, and the brick is economical for the finish and quality it achieves too.”
The brick also brings other qualities to the site, such as a richness, warmth and granularity as well as sustainability credentials.
Sugar House Island, with the integration of Wienerberger clay brick pavers, stands as a testament to successful urban regeneration and the creation of a cohesive, vibrant community in the heart of east London.
Find more Wienerberger case studies at https://www.wienerberger.co.uk/reference-projects/project-type/project-highlights.html
