PROJECT: Enderby Wharf, Grenwich
SECTORS: Commercial / Residential
SERVICES: Landscape Design
CLIENT: Barratt London
DATE: 2018

Enderby Wharf saw a complete re-development of the once thriving London quay which has a deep industrial history of sail and rope making, whaling, and submarine cable production.

Enderby House is a Grade II listed building and was the residence of Charles Enderby, one of three brothers who founded the Samuel Enderby & Sons, one of the most prominent English Seal and Whaling Company’s in the 1800’s. Enderby house is the only building to survive the re-development.

D F Clark were appointed to carry out the hard and soft landscape design for the Grade II listed Enderby House to form the last piece of the Enderby Wharf re-development project. The building was approved for conversion to a restaurant that would sit just off the river frontage as well as to the edge of residential blocks of flats with open space providing the link between the two.

A key element of the brief was to work alongside the appointed artist in locating and integrating the final public art installations to these areas. Constraints of the site included delivery vehicle turning circles in which no planting or street furniture could feature, as well as the statutory access to the river frontage required by the Environment Agency. This stipulated a 3.5m wide unobstructed access.

The specified hard landscape materials drew inspiration from the adjacent development site to ensure continuity of language as well as materials recorded within the wider context, including The Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site, & The Cutty Sark. Materials include blue honed Limestone, Yorkstone paving slabs & Portland limestone.

The planting provided instant structure through box head trees as well as natural structure through the specification of the large habit tree Liquidambar styraciflua (Sweet Gum) to offset the building mass of the adjacent eight story building. The bright red autumn colour of the Sweet Gum also provides a vivid colour contrast to the turquoise cladding of the adjacent building. Shrub and perennial planting offer seasonal interest and colour. Evergreen species ensure year round structure and colour through the dormant season.