Shoreline Crescent, Folkestone

At Folkestone’s breathtaking Shoreline Crescent development, the creation of a mesmerising brick façade, that forms undulating waves to reflect its coastal location, has pushed the boundaries of innovation and creativity. The captivating design, provide the opportunity for Leviat's teams of skilled engineers to showcase their expertise and the versatility of their specialist and customised engineered masonry support system to bring the architect’s vision to reality.

The architectural inspiration was exemplified in the bespoke design, characterised by a glazed white brick façade and an intricate arrangement of convex and concave curves. Collaborating closely with Jenner and the balcony manufacturer, Leviat's technical engineers played a pivotal role in delivering support systems that seamlessly integrated into the building's curved design while maintaining an unobtrusive presence. The specification of top-quality materials remained of paramount importance throughout the process.

Given the intricate nature of this project where standardardised solutions were never going to be an option, early engagement with Leviat was essential. Leviat’s technical engineers, from both the masonry and structural connections teams, worked closely together to deliver engineering solutions that were compatible for both the design and use of Ancon Masonry Support and Ancon Balcony Connectors within the project scheme. These solutions were used across each of the elevations and as part of the brick façades and balconies.

Leviat’s masonry support solutions were instrumental in the successful completion of the project’s four elevations. The work consisted of Ancon MDC Masonry Support brackets and Ancon 28/15 Cast in channels installed to the face of the reinforced concrete frame structure in order to support masonry and pre-cast brick soffits. Bespoke box section Windposts were fabricated and installed on the ground floor with radiused Ancon MDC Support Systems at all levels around the entire project. Leviat’s support angles had to be specially designed to co-ordinate with precast soffit units on all window locations at every level. This bespoke approach not only met the project's specific needs but also showcased Leviat's ability to deliver tailored solutions for complex architectural designs.

 

Commenting on the project, Nobert Omony, Lead Engineer - Structural Connections for Leviat “There were a number of standard balconies across the project but there were also differing sizes and shapes of balconies which necessitated the manufacture of bespoke balcony arms,” said Nobert Omony of Leviat. “This involved designing and manufacturing these brackets for fixing to a curved concrete frame whilst carefully working around the clashes in the reinforcement of that frame.”

With the remarkable building featuring unique angles and varying radii on its curved structure, the project demanded a truly customised approach necessitating close coordination between Leviat’s design engineers and their production team. The curvature and complex geometry of the building’s design could have led to slab edge congestion and clashes between reinforcement and balcony brackets without the involvement and unwavering expertise of Leviat.

For what may well be the jewel in the crown of Folkestone’s transformative seafront development, Shoreline is set to make an impact with Leviat’s innovative structural components and technical prowess completely hidden from view, but playing a critical supporting role in the exterior aesthetics of this residential building.