International Way in London is now complete. Located directly next to Stratford International Station, the project brought together scale, technical complexity, programme pressure and demanding site constraints. For Staticus, the task was clear: to deliver a major façade package safely, on time and within budget, while giving the client the certainty expected on a high-rise residential development in one of London’s most active regeneration areas. That is what was achieved. Staticus delivered 22,495 m² of façade across two 26-storey residential towers, completing its scope in line with the required programme and commercial expectations.
A landmark project in Stratford
Developed by Telford Homes and designed by Burwell Architects, International Way offers 380 homes in the heart of Stratford’s evolving skyline.
The architectural concept reflects the site’s location next to Stratford International Station, using arched forms, linear rhythms and a rich masonry appearance inspired by the adjacent international railway station. The development has been designed to achieve a BREEAM Excellent rating, with sustainability measures including biodiversity improvements, green spaces and reduced operational carbon.
For Staticus, this project was significant not only because of its scale, but because of the responsibility it required. After the original contractor was unable to continue their role during the Pre-Construction Services Agreement (PCSA) phase, Staticus took ownership of the façade package from Stage 3–4 design onwards. This meant developing the full bespoke façade solution, coordinating testing and validation, manufacturing the systems, and delivering installation within a live programme environment.
It was exactly the type of challenge where façade delivery depends on more than technical capability alone. It required control, coordination, accountability and clear ownership from design through to completion.
Delivering a complex multi-system façade
Staticus’ scope included the design, manufacture and installation of a highly complex façade package with several integrated systems and architectural features.
- Unitised curtain wall (UCW) − 15,732 m² of bespoke unitised panels integrating brick slip GRC cladding.
- Stick curtain walling − within inset balconies featuring integrated sliding door systems and glazed balustrades.
- Brick slip GRC cladding − replicating traditional masonry using real Brookmill Blend brick slips cast into GRC panels.
- Level 02 suspended GRC feature panels − fully demountable to preserve permanent access to an underground UKPN electrical substation.
- GRC crown elements − brick-faced, architecturally complex crown on the 26th floor of the West tower.
- Arched louvres and keystone details − realised in GRC, achieved the architectural intent.
Each element had to respond to a different set of technical, architectural and operational requirements. The façade needed to achieve the visual intent of traditional masonry while meeting high-rise performance requirements, improving programme certainty, reducing site risk and maintaining long-term access to critical infrastructure.
The innovation − brick slip GRC at scale
One of the defining achievements of International Way was the use of brick slip GRC cladding at scale.
The architectural brief required a traditional UK brick appearance using Brookmill Blend brick. A conventional in-situ brickwork solution at this scale and height would have been highly labour-intensive, 30 installers working for around 72 weeks, with all the associated risks of high-level bricklaying, prolonged working at height, and exposure to weather variability.
Staticus developed a prefabricated brick slip GRC solution that retained the architectural quality of real brick while transferring the complexity into a controlled manufacturing environment.
Replacing complexity with factory-controlled certainty
Real brick slips were embedded into precision-cast GRC panels using custom moulds and reusable rubber matrices to ensure accurate coursing, spray-applied GRC for consistent thickness, colour-matched pointing, joint consistency and repeatable quality. The team produced panels that are visually indistinguishable from traditional masonry. The panels were then integrated into unitised façade units, allowing installation to progress from inside the building.
Compared with the traditional alternative, our solution reduced the estimated installation programme from approximately 72 weeks to 52 weeks using a 10-person team − a programme reduction of approximately 20 weeks and a labour saving of over 50%.
Beyond efficiency, the system delivered:
- Full architectural consistency − same brick type, same coursing, same mortar joint appearance.
- Significantly improved safety − high-risk bricklaying at height eliminated entirely, in compliance with HSE requirements.
- Quality assurance − factory production replaced site variability with controlled, repeatable output.
- Structural benefit − reduced façade weight lowered loading on the primary reinforced concrete frame.
- Demountability − Level 02 panels were engineered to be fully removable, meeting the critical requirement to maintain substation access.
Programme certainty under pressure
The project was extended by approximately six months due to delays in the reinforced concrete frame. Staticus also had to manage supplier-related quality issues, production constraints, delayed area handovers, strict unloading windows, and limited site space next to one of London’s busiest transport locations.
In this context, programme certainty depended on continuous planning and fast problem-solving.
Staticus adapted delivery sequences, adjusted transportation methods, regrouped deliveries through offsite terminals, changed lorry types to suit restricted unloading areas, and coordinated installation around available cranes, hoists and site access.
This was especially important for the façade panels, which could not all be handled in the same way. Plain UCW panels, GRC panels and bent corner panels each required different packing, transport and lifting methods. Deliveries had to follow the exact floor-level installation sequence, while also responding to customs delays, wind restrictions, hoist breakdowns and crane availability.
This level of coordination is rarely visible from the outside, but it is essential to reliable façade delivery.
By continuously adapting the logistics strategy, Staticus protected the installation sequence throughout. On a high-rise residential scheme with committed handover dates, a slipped installation sequence carries a direct cost to the developer – one that was avoided.
Safety performance
Operating on land directly adjacent to Stratford International Station imposed some of the most stringent Health and Safety requirements. Across a full installation period, International Way recorded:
- 0 incidents or accidents
- 0 near-miss incidents
- An average safety score of 96.5%, above the project target of 94%
This safety performance was achieved while maintaining high installation productivity and delivering technically demanding works at height.
The decision to use prefabricated brick slip GRC panels removed the most significant safety exposure on the project. Additional outcomes included internal installation methodology reducing the need for external access equipment, engineered lifting strategies calibrated to panel weights and crane operations, and demountable panel design ensuring safe long-term maintenance access.
Design Risk Assessments were developed in full compliance with CDM Regulations, addressing risks across the complete building lifecycle.
Successfully delivered, with strong client feedback
International Way brought together several delivery challenges: a frame delay, a technically demanding multi-system façade scope, and constrained site conditions in London. Against this backdrop, Staticus’ ability to take ownership of the façade package, manage this complexity, protect the programme, and deliver safely within the agreed commercial framework was reflected in the client’s feedback. Sebastian Hornsby, Technical Manager at Telford Homes, said:
“Thank you for everything you and everyone at Staticus have done, it has been a genuine pleasure. I know Staticus were one of the stand-out contractors on the site and the complex process of designing an installing the façade was made so much easier thanks to the professionalism and attention to detail that everyone at Staticus has.”
Protos by Richard Rothmore.
