Plaistow Hub

Plaistow Hub is a mixed-use urban development designed by Pitman Tozer Architects and delivered by developer Vistry South London, with brickwork contractor City Brickwork. The development spans two sites – Valetta Grove and London Road – comprising two residential towers and a commercial building with community amenities.

IG Masonry Support supplied masonry support systems and brick slip soffit solutions across all three buildings, providing bespoke engineering to meet the complex façade requirements of the scheme.

Valetta Grove Residential Building

Valetta Grove presented the most technically complex façade on the development. The building required IG Masonry Support’s B.O.S.S. A1 (Brick on Soffit System), bolted to Welded Masonry Support, alongside Brick Panel Systems featuring a bespoke rail system. Together, these solutions accommodated deep brick soffits and tapered corner details unique to the building’s architectural design.

London Road Residential Tower

The 23-storey London Road tower required Welded Masonry Support at every floor level, designed to suit cavities ranging from 150mm to 262.5mm. The system was also configured to drop below slab level to support both recessed and projecting brickwork, with additional 360mm dropper brackets installed at external corners.

Over 56 metres of B.O.S.S. A1 was designed and supplied for the second floor, 20th floor, and roof level, accommodating a Stretcher course bond pattern with a consistent 65mm face height throughout the building’s elevation. All soffit systems were fixed to IG Masonry Support’s Welded Masonry Support system.

Commercial Building

On the three-storey commercial building, Welded Masonry Support was designed and supplied in both standard and dropper configurations. Cast-in Channel and Windposts were also provided across all three buildings to streamline installation of the Welded Masonry Support and to deliver lateral support to large brickwork panels.

The Valetta Grove building presented the most technically demanding façade on the project. A large, deep soffit at ground floor level on the south elevation wrapped around corners, incorporating tapered edges, obtuse internal angles, and acute external angles – creating significant geometric complexity.

Achieving precise alignment was a further challenge, as soffit and perpend joints were required to match both the adjacent brickwork columns and the façade above, all within tight tolerances.

The presence of MVHR ductwork and soil stacks within the cavity introduced additional coordination constraints, increasing the risk of service clashes and restricting access for the installation of masonry support brackets to the underside of the soffit.

To achieve the deep tapered soffits at ground floor level, IG Masonry Support’s technical team designed a three-brick deep B.O.S.S. A1 system, bolted directly to Welded Masonry Support. A bespoke rail system was then designed to suspend the Brick Panel Systems, delivering the intended architectural vision while reducing installation time. This approach ensured accurate alignment of brickwork perpends and joints, and resolved the complex geometric transitions with the surrounding façade.

To avoid clashes with MVHR ducting and soil stacks, IG Masonry Support worked closely with the project design team to map service locations in advance. The in-house structural engineering team then designed the Welded Masonry Support with increased system centres, enabling the system to span effectively across the 265mm cavity while avoiding services entirely. The enlarged cavity depth demanded a structurally robust solution, ensuring load paths remained fully compliant whilst accommodating service penetrations.

Throughout the build, IG Masonry Support also designed Welded Masonry Support dropper systems incorporating slots at the rear of each unit. This allowed wall ties to be installed prior to the masonry support, eliminating interruptions to the installation sequence and maintaining structural integrity throughout.

IG Masonry Support successfully delivered precision-engineered masonry support and brick slip systems across the entire Plaistow Hub development, overcoming deep soffits, large cavities, and complex façade geometries. The project demonstrates how careful planning, bespoke engineering, and close collaboration between architects, engineers, and contractors can achieve structurally robust, visually cohesive, and high-quality façades in demanding urban environments.