• Project Type - Residential & Commercial
• Brick Type - Trafalgar - Bespoke Blended product
• Client - Henry Construction / F P Mccann / Ghelamco
• Location - 225 City Road, Shoreditch, London

The Arc – Project Overview

The Arc, located at 225 City Road in Shoreditch, is a major mixed-use development and one of the most significant projects undertaken by TBS Cladding Solutions to date. The project required more than 1,000,000 brick cuts and over 230,000 brick bonds, making it the largest single-building project we had undertaken at the time.

Working closely with Henry Construction and FP McCann, TBS supplied materials for both the traditionally built and precast elements of the development, coordinating production around the specific programmes and schedules of both parties.

With a highly detailed brickwork design, significant volumes and demanding weekly production requirements, The Arc presented a considerable manufacturing and logistical challenge.

A Bespoke Brickwork Design

A key feature of The Arc is the distinctive random bond pattern specified by the architect. Achieving the required appearance involved considerably more than producing standard brick slips. The design called for 126 different brick slip lengths, all of which needed to be accurately fabricated and organised for installation.

Alongside these, we produced 24 different pistol lengths to complete the required detailing and maintain the random bond appearance throughout the development. The result was a highly bespoke brick package that required careful planning and consistency from production through to delivery.

Meeting the Production Challenge

The scale of The Arc was matched by an equally demanding programme. Several thousand cut and bonds were required each week alongside full loads of brick slips, cut to numerous different lengths and organised according to specific levels and elevations. Keeping both the traditional brickwork and brick slip packages moving smoothly meant production and deliveries had to be closely coordinated with the progress of the project on site.

To meet these requirements, TBS operated a full seven-day production schedule for the duration of the project. This gave the client a single, consistent source for the brick cutting package rather than having to divide the work between multiple suppliers. It also allowed us to maintain control over quality, consistency and scheduling throughout a particularly complex programme.

About The Arc

Developed by Ghelamco as its first project in the UK, The Arc is a mixed-use development in the heart of Shoreditch and London’s Tech City. Designed by award-winning architects AHMM, the development features a distinctive 22-storey tower rising above a red-brick podium, with the architecture drawing inspiration from the industrial character of its East London surroundings. The scheme combines residential and commercial space, including a collection of 100 studio, one, two and three-bedroom residences.

An Award-Winning Development

The quality of The Arc has also received international recognition.

In November 2021, the development received four honours at the International Property Awards:

• Best Residential High-Rise Development – London
• Best Residential High-Rise Development – UK
• Office Development – United Kingdom
• Mixed-Use Development – United Kingdom

For TBS Cladding Solutions, The Arc demonstrates our ability to manage highly complex brick cutting and fabrication requirements at significant scale, while maintaining the quality, consistency and production capacity needed to keep a major construction programme moving. With more than one million brick slips, hundreds of thousands of cut and bonds and an exceptionally detailed random bond specification, the project remains a standout example of our manufacturing capabilities.