Projects

Davies Maguire were appointed to provide structural engineering services relating to the full refurbishment of 6 More London, a 6-storey steel frame and composite metal deck office building, originally constructed in the early 2000s. Starting from feasibility stage, Davies Maguire worked closely with the architect to design the layout for new amenity spaces for the building’s tenants. The site is located directly on the River Thames and has a high water table, so avoiding the need for foundation strengthening was critical. After considering a variety of arrangements and construction materials, we were able to justify a proposal for new lightweight balconies, supplemented by new transfer beams in the basement to spread the increased loads across several existing foundations. The terrace design was then further optimised to minimise the strengthening and demolition required to the existing superstructure and façade, saving embodied carbon as well as cost.

Other structural elements have included design of a new feature staircase from basement to first floor, requiring careful coordination with the design team to fit supporting structure within limited available space, while avoiding clashes with fixed services in the existing building. The reception is also to be significantly extended. A new steel frame at roof level oversails the Building Maintenance Unit to support solar panels, with the steelwork carefully designed to fit within tight geometric constraints so as not to obstruct the BMU while also not impacting the sightlines and allowable levels for structure on the roof.