Style and practicality for winter gardens at Dollar Bay
A £90 million development in London’s Canary Wharf specified more than 2,600m2 of aluminium soffits from Guttercrest to construct winter gardens for its new-build apartments.
Dollar Bay is an award-winning design featuring 125 waterfront homes with uninterrupted views across Canary Wharf, The Thames and Greenwich.
The 31-storey, 18,970m2 Dollar Bay takes its name from World War II, when American naval ships anchored nearby would pay dock workers a dollar to tow them back to their moorings.
Guttercrest’s aluminium balcony soffits were specified for the underside of Dollar Bay’s winter garden roof and balconies thanks to its lightweight, durability and weather resistant properties.
The winter gardens are both outside space and an extension of the living space, providing all-season use. They also helped the building achieve the Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4 thanks to the thermal buffer zone they provide to the fully glazed building. The winter gardens create their own microclimate that responds to all weather conditions and offers natural ventilation to the homes.
Guttercrest designed the secret fix soffits for this project to enable access to the motors, electrics and sensors that were fitted in the winter gardens if required. The arrowhead profile planks are demountable from either end on every individual property, adding a level of practicality without losing any of the sleek visual impact the aluminium soffits create.
Arrowhead soffits were mounted to Guttercrest’s adjustable galvanised steel sub-frame and polyester powder coated to RAL 9010M, pure matte white. All panels were supplied in two metre lengths to allow access by lift with restricted head room.
Aluminium soffit interlocking cassette panels have secret fix planks that can be run perpendicular or parallel to the building. Produced in either standard or bespoke widths and lengths, they give a clean aesthetic appearance. Arrowhead soffits can be used to cover or clad existing soffit boards, verge gable and bargeboard.
Set on a 0.24 hectare site, the previously unused waterfront area has been fully rejuvenated and includes a landscaped setting, outdoor seating, public art and a café.
The project has racked up 10 award wins or short listings, including winning London Evening Standards’ New Homes Award, a Gold London Design award, Gold for What House? Best Luxury Development and was shortlisted for the Sunday Times British Homes Apartment Development award.
To find out more about Guttercrest’s range of aluminium soffits, visit: https://www.guttercrest.co.uk/aluminium-soffit-soffits-eaves-fascia-cladding-plank-systems.html
