Designing Waterside Towers for Complex Site Constraints Without Compromise

The Wood Wharf development, a mixed-use project next to Canary Wharf, London, expands the area's existing offerings by adding substantial residential, office, and retail space.

To overcome existing ground obstacles and minimise embodied carbon, Ramboll devised structural solutions which were both unconventional in their approach and results.

Plot J4J5, a key residential component within this larger development, features an offset core approximately half the size of a typical one, along with a four-story deep reinforced concrete transfer truss supporting the south elevation of the 30-story tower. Meanwhile, Plot J1J3 incorporates raking main podium columns that support both the south and north elevations of the up-to-50-story project.

This development has required complex engineering and architectural solutions to address site-specific challenges. These challenges included avoiding existing underground dock walls, utilities, and infrastructure while maximising constructability and minimising embodied carbon and construction costs. Additionally, some of the towers include affordable apartments, where cost pressures were particularly high.

Ramboll completed all stages of design, while also undertaking reinforcement detailing and resident engineering services during construction, ensuring a seamless interface between the design and building works.

We collaborated with Darling Associates Architects on J4J5 and with GRID Architects on J1J3, guiding the architects toward designs that not only achieved their architectural visions but more than satisfied the structural and sustainability requirements as well.

By fully utilising wind tunnel testing and finetuning the design up until construction, we achieved embodied carbon values for these high-rise towers comparable to those of low-rise buildings. Performing the detailing also meant that we could continue minimising embodied carbon during the construction stage.

We also developed a low carbon concrete specification and plan, which required the contractor to achieve a 10% reduction in the embodied carbon of their concrete mixes by considering the different structural element types and external temperatures throughout the year. The projects also utilised recycled aggregates and explored the potential of storing CO2 within the aggregates to further benefit the environment.

Additionally, we collaborated closely with and pushed the geotechnical engineers during the integration and interaction studies between the ground and structure to minimise the extent of piled foundations.

The construction of the structure for J1J3 was completed in 2023, with J4J5 scheduled for completion in 2024.