Legendre Invests In And Builds New Housing Project In Bermondsey, London

LONDON, Dec. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Property developer and contractor Legendre is building and investing in a new mixed-use scheme on Dockley Road. Totalling circa 13,935 square metres, the new building is located 1 kilometre south of Tower Bridge and will comprise of 111 apartments with a ground floor dedicated to retail and commercial use. Scheduled to complete in the summer 2022, the project is a milestone in Legendre's corporate life as its first investment in the UK, consolidating a long-term vision of the London property market.

Building a long-term presence in the UK

Legendre, relying on its strong position on the London market since 2015, stepped in as co-funder with Matching Green, up to £2,6M, to bring additional guarantees.

Signed up in August 2019, the construction work had been postponed due to the Covid-19 economic context.

Thomas VANDECASTEELE, Managing Director of Legendre's office in London, commented: "Our investment in this latest project reflects our involvement and confidence to invest and to build in the UK. Although Covid-19 has hit every part of the economy we still see strong demand and opportunities. We can safely say that we are here to stay and we'll be taking part in new exciting projects to come."

This is the third construction site operated by Legendre in the UK and several other projects are underway in central London.

Legendre's first residential new build scheme in London

Conveniently located at a five minutes' walk from Bermondsey Station, the nine-storey building will include private and affordable units. Out of 111 brand new homes, 42 have already been forward sold to a Housing Association. At street level, 1,100 square meters will be available including 3 retail units. This commercial space is leased to Spa Terminus who will sublet to businesses in the food manufacturing and wholesale sector.

Thanks to Legendre's in-house technical experts, CMC foundations (Controlled Modulus Columns) were installed as a replacement for CFA (Continuous Flight Auger) piles or small diameter rotary bored piles. This technique improves the soil bearing capacity and therefore allows the building foundations to be less deep. The RC frame and the MEP (Mechanical, electrical and plumbing) package will be self-delivered by the Legendre team.  

"For this project and many others we rely on our in-house engineering hub composed of 70 engineers to find innovative technical solutions for our clients and our partners in terms of Structure, Methods, Building envelope, in data and digital construction," explained Thomas VANDECASTEELE.

The building also features a secure by design standard and it is also fully sprinklered.

Legendre, who started the construction works in August 2020, has already constructed the foundations of the building and has recently erected the crane installation to assist the future construction. Overall, the project is estimated to last 23 months. 

Words from the Architect

Studio Woodroffe Papa collaborated with Bordeaux-based architects Poggi Architecture to transform the industrial site into a vibrant city block with street level amenities and housing above.

Jonathan Woodroffe, director and co-founder of Studio Woodroffe Papa, described: "The housing is arranged around a shared courtyard that functions as a communal amenity space with a garden and children's play area. Residents access their homes via wide galleries that circulate around the courtyard. The galleries also function as collective spaces where residents can sit outside and enjoy views into the garden."

"Facade materials were chosen to connect the new scheme with its industrial past. On the ground floor, a high-quality, dark brick façade creates a visibly durable and robust plinth for the building while on the upper floors, metal cladding brings lightness and an industrial aesthetic."

Project details

Address: 2 Dockley Road, London SE16 3SF
Construction cost: £29 million
Delivery date: Q3 2022

Property developer: Matching Green
EA: William Avery 
Project Manager: Equals
Architect: Studio Woodroffe Papa & Poggi Architecture
Structural Engineering: Terrell Group.

Contact: Louise-Marie Guinet & Stéphanie Piere - legendre@wellcom.fr - +33 (0)1 46 34 60 60

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1388260/Dockley_Road.jpg  
Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1388259/Dockley_Road.jpg  
Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1388258/Legendre_Logo.jpg