317 Finchley Road, London, United Kingdom
About this story
Petra Heights is a 22-apartment development composed of three blocks rising from six to ten storeys at 317 Finchley Road. Its defining system is an external load-bearing structure of unreinforced volcanic stone designed by Groupwork with structural engineer Webb Yates. The official development describes it as the first ten-storey load-bearing stone building since the great cathedrals. Project reporting states that approximately 1,000 tonnes of volcanic rock were used in place of a conventional concrete-and-steel structural solution.
Status and timeline
Construction is reported complete, and the development is marketing its 22 apartments across three blocks. Sales enquiries are open through the official project site.
Design highlights
Load-bearing unreinforced stone; exposed structural exoskeleton; contemporary digital engineering applied to stereotomic construction; reduced reliance on reinforced concrete and structural steel; expression of structure as façade.
