Great West Quarter (GWQ), London

Sotech worked with installers Stanmore on the Barrett Homes Residential Development Westgate House, which was a £500 million mixed-use regeneration project, designed by London-based Assael Architecture and located in Brentford, Middlesex.

Westgate House is an NHBC (National House Building Council) project, and Sotech initially became involved in the project because the original specified cladding did not fit NHBC requirements. To provide an alternative, we worked with installers Stanmore to specify our Optima IPC Interlocking Pressed Plank Rainscreen cladding system for the project, which is both NHBC approved and full independently CWCT tested.

Over 2000sqm of secretly fixed Interlocking Pressed Plank panels were used on the Westgate House development. 4 different colour panels were specified; 3 with a matt powder-coated finish and one using a bespoke, pre-coat, high gloss special finish.

The combination of a series of PPC matt panels arranged in bands, combined with a reflective high gloss panel stripe created a sophisticated, modern appearance for the building’s exterior.

There were some design challenges involved in this project, but all were tackled successfully through the development of bespoke areas of the system. Initially, Sotech had to develop a new, bespoke joint method between the Optima IPC rainscreen cladding panels to avoid slab deflection because a lot of the panels spanned floor slab areas. These customised joints allow the panels to move between the slabs like a damper while maintaining a pristine exterior.

For the curved area of the building, Sotech developed a bespoke substructure for the Optima IPC panels with a different panel depth than that used for the flat rainscreen cladding. This involved setting the grid behind the IPC panels differently to the rest of the project, ensuring a seamless line from the flat areas to the curved areas. Although it was a complex design challenge, the solution was effective and ensured a uniform, flawless appearance.

Our secretly fixed Optima IPC system was specified in particular because the long narrow panels were ideal for bringing the architect’s vision to life, and because it could be easily adapted where necessary.

As well as the IPC rainscreen cladding, Sotech provided all the fascias and soffits required for the development.

Westgate House involved the regeneration of iconic Grade II listed Art Deco building Wallis House and the construction of over 800 residential apartments spread across 17 new buildings.

The site used advanced construction techniques to minimise waste and also ensured that homes benefit from solar panels and other renewable energy techniques.

In addition to new housing, the Westgate House development also offers communal gardens, a health and fitness centre, a convenience store, a medical surgery and hotel, as well as cafes, bars and restaurants.

The training facility and showroom at Sotech is open to specifiers and contractors, where all of our Optima Rainscreen Systems are on display alongside the widest selection of materials and finishes, including pre and post coat aluminium, ACM, Copper, Zinc, Stainless Steel and Anodised.