The iconic Westminster Tower, nestled on the banks of the River Thames, is undergoing a spectacular transformation into ‘The Doulton’ – a luxurious residence featuring 28 apartments, a health & wellness facility, and private offices. Westminster Tower was formerly a 47,000 sqft fourteen storey 1980s office block built on a previous Royal Doulton manufacturing site. The project exemplifies BG&E’s commitment to low carbon design and the re-use of existing buildings to better serve the community.

BG&E is involved in both the structural assessment and design of the building retrofit. Our Buildings and Materials team have been involved – from the concept stage, through to construction and design outcome. The Materials team led the in-situ tests required for a better understanding of the structural behaviour, while the Buildings team were involved in the assessment of the proposed design, ensuring the best and most cost-effective solutions were applied as well as coordinating the design with other BG&E teams involved. The Façades team provided consultancy services for the new façade performance and for the new aesthetic of the tower.

No project is without its challenges, and our talented teams worked together to overcome any structural design challenges faced:

• The addition of 3-storeys on the top and the modification of the structural stability system to give more freedom to the internal spaces without the need for foundation strengthening.
• There was also a lack of information about the existing building: an extensive series of in-situ tests had been carried out before the stripping out works had started. Our team provided guidance and interpretation for the destructive and non-destructive tests. The result of this campaign allowed us to refine the assumptions, verify the conditions of the structure, and retain the majority of the existing structure which saved a significant amount of embodied carbon.
• Finally, the façade team defined a new look for the tower and the proposal allowed to reduce the façade weight drastically, to lighten the structure and negate the requirement for strengthening.

The Doulton has set a new benchmark for luxury living. The outcome is a successful design that overcame many structural challenges. The building service life has been extended by a further 50 years and the reuse of the existing building has contributed to a reduction in the carbon footprint.