Hale Wharf

A triple band of soldier stack runs the full circumference of the dwelling, breaking the vertical mass, defining the loggia edge and demarcating ground from first floor. A deeper than usual masonry cavity allows for recessed glazing, with darker frames reinforcing the solidity and depth of the facade.

Freshfield Lane First Quality Multi connects the building directly to a vernacular that runs from Victorian terraces to industrial warehouses. Highly articulated brickwork, enriched with precast detailing, gives the elevations depth and rhythm, reading confidently from a distance while offering something more considered up close.

The three-bay front elevation has a calm, ordered presence, with brickwork emphasising proportion and mass. Considered detailing throughout, including flush stone sill bands with hidden mini-gutters and spouts, provides contrasting horizontal articulation without applied decoration, allowing the brickwork to remain the dominant visual element.

Brick is central to the building's ability to mediate between competing contextual demands. The southern wing addresses the civic scale of the adjacent Law Courts and Assembly Rooms with a confident, formal elevation. The north wing, facing residential properties opposite, is more domestic in character, with punched windows set within a brick façade that strikes a considered relationship with the neighbouring streetscape.

The 800,000 brick facade blends four brick types: 50% Michelmersh Synthesis 01, 40% Wrekin Berkshire, 6% Wrekin Dark Red and 4% Black Smooth. Thirteen different radii were incorporated across the facade, with some varying by as little as 2mm over a two-metre length, demonstrating that technical ambition and design conviction need not be in conflict.

Freshfield Lane First Quality Multi was chosen as the defining material, its warm range of red tones connecting The Heights directly to the established fabric of Greenwich. Highly articulated brickwork, enriched with precast detailing, gives the elevations depth and rhythm, rewarding close attention while reading confidently from a distance.