Ramsgate

12 storey residential development on a confined site near Ridley Road Market.

The ground and first floor of this 14 storey building will accommodate commercial business, while the 12 floors above will be made up of 56 private residential units. The building will also have a 4 storey building adjoined to it comprised of commercial space, 6 further units of affordable housing, a basement car park, and an elevated recreational area for residents.

Due to the looming threat of global warming, the Mayor of London has set targets for the use of more renewable energy sources. This building will use vertical axis wind turbines in a unique way running down the spine of the tower block to supply the building with 17% of its energy requirements, significantly exceeding the mayor’s objectives.

To harness the building’s potential wind energy capabilities from its height, the building has been designed in a shape similar to the wing of a plane. This aerofoil design channels the wind towards the wind turbines, maximising the potential energy output of this pioneering structure. A new underground railway tunnel is proposed for construction after 2025, so the building has been designed with both raft and pile foundations, to enable the tunnel to be constructed without obstruction or damage to the building.