PROJECT FOCUS
Getting creative with GRC
Lightweight glass reinforced concrete (GRC) can be used on a wide variety of buildings, not just landmark civic
projects, says James Butler, commercial director at Pura Facades
Developed by Berkeley Homes
and designed by architects
Allies & Morrison, Royal
Arsenal Riverside in Woolwich,
south-east London, was completed at the
end of 2018. Creating around 500 homes,
ranging in price from £320,000 up to £1.7
million, the project showcases the creative
use of GRC to provide a distinctive,
framed aesthetic to the building’s façade.
Overlooking the Thames and just
metres away from the much anticipated
Crossrail station at Woolwich and the
nearby Dockland Light Railway, the
architects wanted to create a premium
feel to both the landscaping and
structure of the three phases, which
sit within a grid of historic naval
buildings.
Pura Facades was responsible for
the provision of the £2.5 million worth
of GRC and associated fixing systems
that now frames the three eye-catching
towers of Royal Arsenal. Having
“The relatively attractive price of GRC, compared to traditional stone
or cast concrete products is reflected right down the supply chain”
discussed the project at some length
with both the architects and contractors,
we recommended the use of polar white
concrete skin from Rieder, the Austrian
GRC manufacturer.
The crisp lines and naturally
textured finish of the product matched
the modern aesthetic demanded by the
developers, and it also complimented
the existing listed building status of the
established infrastructure. Many of the
remaining naval buildings were used as
hospitals, arsenals and storage for the
Royal Navy – so any new development
needed to enhance, not detract from
this unique environment.
Durable, cost-effective
and practical
While GRC was specified because
of its durable stone-like aesthetic,
cost and practicality were two other
key considerations. Used globally to
bring gravitas and stature to window
surrounds, balconies, entrances and
porticos, GRC comes at a fraction of
the cost of hewn stone, thanks to its
manufacturing process and the fact that
sustainable materials are used in the
material’s production GRC.
Moreover, the relatively attractive
price of GRC, compared to traditional
stone or cast concrete products is
reflected right down the supply chain,
where transportation and fixing costs
on-site are much lower too. Indeed,
the costs of logistics and cladding
erection are increasingly important to
contractors, especially when projects are
based in major cities, which increasingly
The Royal
Arsenal
Riverside
development
in Woolwich
features GRC
provided by
Pura Facades
38 www.rcimag.co.uk April 2019
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/www.rcimag.co.uk
