Morris South is a major urban and estate regeneration project delivering high-quality homes across a large site previously occupied by aging affordable housing blocks. The development transforms the area into a vibrant and sustainable residential community, with a mix of medium-rise apartment buildings and a substantial number of townhouses. Vertex provided full Structural and Civil Engineering Design services for this complex, multi-phased scheme.
The new buildings were carefully designed to respond to the surrounding context, requiring a variety of structural forms. This included reinforced concrete frames with flat slabs, shear walls, and columns for the apartment blocks—supported on piled foundations—as well as traditional loadbearing masonry for the townhouse units. The structural design approach had to be tailored for each building type while maintaining coherence across the site.
Ground conditions presented a significant challenge, with made ground extending up to 3 metres deep in some areas, making the use of shallow foundations unfeasible. Vertex undertook detailed 3D modelling of the layered ground profiles to distinguish between competent ground and variable formation levels. This informed foundation strategies and helped mitigate risk during construction.
The site's varied topography and extensive footprint required careful coordination of road levels and infrastructure. Civil design solutions were developed using 3D modelling tools to manage level changes and integrate road layouts seamlessly with building plots. Sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) and attenuation infrastructure had to be meticulously coordinated with building foundations, services layouts, and logistical constraints across the site.
Vertex delivered a fully integrated structural and civil engineering design for this diverse scheme. Piled foundations supported the medium-rise concrete structures, while masonry houses were adapted to suit individual ground conditions. The use of advanced ground modelling was crucial in achieving cost-effective and buildable solutions across such a geotechnically complex site.
Civil engineering works included the design of roads, drainage, and SuDS infrastructure within tight spatial parameters. Working collaboratively with architects and services consultants, Vertex ensured that the site’s engineering backbone supported not just the buildings, but also long-term resilience and functionality for future residents.
