Lyons O’Neill provided the structural design of a single storey rooftop extension to the top of this existing 4 storey building, creating a high-quality working environment for an existing fashion business. The extension was conceived as a lightweight steel frame. In order that the lower levels of the building could be kept live throughout the works, the new 4th floor was formed as a grillage of steelwork which floated above the retained lightweight precast planks. New columns were aligned on top of existing columns under to ensure direct load transfer. Stability of the extension was achieved through portal action of the steel frames. The street facing elevations are set back from the main façade and are combination of glazing, semi matt metal louvers and stainless-steel shingles, the latter also used to clad the roof overhang.
This project is a new private house on a rural site in Sussex. Lyons O’Neill were appointed by G-Frame to design all CLT and steel superstructure elements which sit onto an RC basement level. The CLT has been used to resist lateral and vertical loads throughout the structure, aside from where steel sections have been used over long openings. In particular, stringent deflection limits were adopted to design the supporting structure to the double storey, triple glazed sliding panels. The CLT spine walls at first floor level are designed to act as deep beams supporting the floor slab to allow for an open space at ground floor level. Careful consideration of the construction sequence and the architecture was used to design the connections between tall the CLT panels and the steel.
Whistler’s Anew is a new bespoke private house, built on the site of a dilapidated cottage in a unique secluded site in Highgate. Designed with Smerin Architects, the two storey house has a finely detailed steel frame, and a diagrid timber roof. To preserve the health of the tree which the house embraces and to minimise the amount of concrete used, screw pile foundations were used to support the ground floor. Lyons O’Neill have also designed the below ground drainage system.
Lyons O’Neill is an innovative Structural & Civil practice with offices in London and a workload far beyond. Our success is the direct result of the talent and creativity of the people within, so we are constantly looking for bright individuals to join our busy and expanding team. We are working on a wide variety of challenging projects ranging in both materials and scale, so we are always looking for Engineers and Technicians of the highest standards. We provide a flexible office environment and are committed to the principles of equality equal opportunities. You can have a look at our portfolio on our website and if you think you could contribute and would benefit from joining our team then please send your CV to – info@lyonsoneill.co.uk
The constraints of the sloping rural site, combined with the open plan architectural scheme and focus on sustainability, presented a number of challenges. We worked closely with the architect to produce an efficient structural scheme, allowing 6m high glazing panels and achieving an elegant slimline finish. The large clear spans and cantilevering floor plates were constructed as a steel frame supported on stepped strip foundations. The steel design and detailing provided a slim tapered edge to the roof and floor plates, accentuating the glazed facades. A combination of frame portalisation and timber racking panels were utilised to provide stability. The overall structure was lightweight and easy to build which overcame the site constraints and met the Client’s requirements. This project has been shortlisted as a finalist for the Central LABC Building Excellence Awards 2018 in the ‘Best Individual New Home’ category.
Set over three floors, Darling House has created a 3-bedroom family home which exceeds the client’s brief. The building fills the footprint of the compact site and is a realisation of a complex design process to create flexible and beautiful living spaces within the constraints. The structure consists of a single storey basement box, formed with contiguous piles and a liner wall following the tight irregular site boundary footprint to maximise the basement footprint. Above ground, the structure changes to a mix of steelwork, masonry, composite deck floors along with glass floor infill’s to allow light to enter the basement. Glulam frames were used at first floor level to form the curved roof / wall. Lyons O’Neill worked with the Architect on some challenging structural details between a range of different materials, to give the client exactly what they were looking for. Lyons O’Neill also designed the below ground drainage for this project. Darling House has been shortlisted as a finalist in the prestigious SBID International Design Awards 2018 – Residential House Under £1M.
Lyons O’Neill were appointed to provide civil and structural design for the refurbishment of the characterful Victorian gothic-style property at Well Road in Hampstead. Aside from internal alterations throughout the property, which involved linking two historically separate properties, the development has benefitted from a contemporary rear kitchen extension, with a glazed link. Designed with F3 architects, the extension has a carefully analysed steel structure concealed in the roof to allow it to cantilever over frameless glass with a slim line edge profile.
Winner of best historic intervention in Don’t Move, Improve! 2016 awards. Located in a Georgian court dating from 1766, this house forms part of a terrace which incurred bomb damage during the Second World War resulting in it being partially demolished and substantially rebuilt in the decades since, including the front and rear elevations in their entirety. Retaining only the perimeter walls to the house, garden and a former workshop to the rear, an entirely new structure has been inserted. The house now connects to and encompasses the former workshop, increasing the habitable space and creating an enclosed courtyard. The courtyard provides light and ventilation to living spaces on three levels whilst offering framed views and communication between the individual rooms it unifies. Materials to new living areas are predominantly fair faced or untreated to reflect the utility of their previous use. A new third floor has been added providing a master bedroom and terrace linked by a new staircase to a dressing room and bathrooms below within the body of the original house. On the front elevation, timber sash windows replace the previous metal framed windows and generally the facade has been restored to reflect the well preserved period character of the court. The work, which included extensive structural interventions, excavations and large glazed elements was all achieved on an extremely confined site with no vehicle access.
Midway down a single track lane, this woodland retreat presented us with both access and buildabilty issues. Our structural solution had to allow for small elements to create a larger whole. With a 15m clear span and the inability to get a significant crane to site we looked hard at the buildability and sequence of construction to inform our solution. The site constraints lead us to a standardised element with a standardised connection detail which allowed us to create a storey high Vierendeel truss which sat comfortably within the zones created by the architecture. With all the structure exposed, understanding the construction tolerances and the sequence meant we were able to develop a series of simple yet effective details to ensure crispness of finish whilst maintaining ease of build.
