Located at the foot of the historic Leas Lift and coastal park in Folkestone, Kent, Shoreline’s 84 luxury homes benefit from a prime position with uninterrupted views onto the beach and across the sea, stretching as far as the French coastline on a clear day. This flagship building is the initial phase of a masterplan that will see up to 1000 new homes, shops, bars and restaurants as well as attractive public and green spaces, including Leas Square and Marine Parade, along the seafront in Folkestone.
Overcoming a multitude of challenges along the way, this unique and stunning new building sits upon robust foundations of over 200 piles, driven to a depth of 27m, making the foundations as deep as the building is high. Constructed with a reinforced concrete frame, Shoreline’s flowing curved form echoes the shape of the waves, pebbles and coast.
Built to last
Given exposure to extreme weather conditions and highly-corrosive salt spray in its caustic seafront location, every detail of Shoreline has been meticulously considered. One of the biggest design considerations was the proposed facade system. This needed to ensure durability whilst offering a low-maintenance system that remained aesthetically pleasing. Original aspirations for a crushed-glass-finished render to create a sparkling finish were dispelled for safety reasons and new options that would offer the same visual impact were explored. As an alternative to the rendered insulation, many options were considered, with glazed white bricks and a white mortar subsequently chosen to create a glamourous facade, with the final brick being sourced from La Paloma in Spain.
‘Standardised’ was never going to be an option and, as such, over 24 different specially-designed bricks were required to achieve the complex geometry. Furthermore, to create the curve, Jenner had to have each brick cut into two – doubling the number of bricks to be laid. To add further texture, a series of kicked bricks protrude from the facade. Carefully measured to ensure they were too small for seagulls to perch, they play with the sun, creating ever-changing shadow patterns across the face of the building.
With a bespoke 70mm-high brick sourced to respond to the convex and concave waves of the brick facade, rigorous testing was carried out with different mortar mixes to ensure the facade would stand the rigours of the British weather and the aesthetic quality would never be compromised.
Ahead of the curve
The next challenge faced was the balconies proposed for each home, which proved problematic in terms of their load-bearing weight. Originally, precast concrete balconies were planned, but weighing up to nine tonnes each, the risk associated with crane lifting on a coastal location, effectively ruled this design feature out. Many avenues were explored by Jenner, with a lighter weight aluminium solution ultimately identified and seamlessly integrated into the building’s curved design.
Illustrating further intricacies of the build, there were five different balcony designs, each bespoke to mirror the shape and curve of the structure. The coping stones on the parapet walls were individual in size and shape, requiring special moulds. The curved structure also demanded bespoke windowsills; each unit was scanned as a 3D image. The foyer lanterns were sourced from Spain. The client’s passion for a particular species of mature tree led the specification team to Italy and required extra care to ensure the health of the plants during the long journey back to the UK.
Metal used on the exterior of the building is rust proof, whilst wall ties beneath the facade are made from the same marine-grade materials found on deep-sea oil rigs, ensuring longevity and sustainability.
The bespoke finish is most certainly not limited to what the public eye can see with communal areas clad with acoustic walls and terrazzo floors to ensure quality radiates throughout.
Private roof terraces are included for the beach houses and penthouse apartments and all units have the exclusive use of a private communal garden above the undercroft car park, which promotes natural daylight through carefully-placed openings to provide a secure and pleasant environment with EV charging points and sufficient headroom for all modern vehicles.
Sustainable solutions
The building envelope is designed to high thermal standards to minimise heating and cooling requirements. This includes double- and triple-glazed windows, depending on the orientation and performance requirements, and non-flammable mineral wool thermal insulation has been used within the walls to provide excellent insulation and keep the homes warm in the winter.
The soffits of the beach house staircases are left exposed to act at a thermal mass to moderate temperatures. All of the apartments have been provided with mechanical heat recovery and ventilation alongside openable windows to provide efficient background ventilation.
The development incorporates shingle gardens, providing an ecological habitat that increases species diversity within the beach environment. Rainwater harvesting systems and a communal boiler promote resource efficiency. To encourage cycling, storage units and designated cycle parking are provided within the car park area. Energy-efficient LED lighting illuminates all apartments and common areas throughout the building.
Whilst its coastal location presented a number of construction challenges, from ground engineering through to the selection and installation of materials, the exceptional quality of the finished building stands as a testament to the remarkable work of the entire project team. From the initial concept through to the articulation of its architecture by utilising state-of-the-art construction techniques and products of the highest specification, the project serves as a prime example of how the built form positively impacts a region.
