Bridges Wharf
About the project
Bridges Wharf is a stunning luxury riverside development on the south bank of the Thames in Battersea. It is made up of three buildings – comprising residential apartments, a hotel and retail spaces – which are beautifully designed to look like the various decks of a ship. Its waterside location is integral to its contemporary design, so sparkling windows that reflect the river are a must! Aquamark Cleaning started work at Bridges Wharf in 2015, and is still there today, providing regular cleaning for the windows, periodic cleaning for the cladding, abseil eyebolt testing every six months and periodic testing for the fall arrest systems.
The challenges
The characteristic stepped buildings of Bridges Wharf certainly look amazing, but they present some challenges when it comes to cleaning. For a start, the only feasible option for reaching the upper-storey windows of the stepped section is to employ our abseil team; however, the changes in levels mean that this method can be very labour-intensive for our technicians. Bridges Wharf is actually known within the trade as a particularly hard building to master! The development was also located next to a large construction site, which meant that dust and debris would accumulate on the buildings in between cleans.
Bridges Wharf also presented us with challenges in terms of timings. For a start, we had to ensure that we only cleaned the third building – the hotel – at certain times of the day, so as not to disturb paying guests who were staying there. The other two buildings are split into retail and residential spaces, so we had to make sure that our cleaning services suited both. Also, because the development is located next to London Heliport, we had to schedule our day to ensure that any abseiling occurred between planned take-off and landing times. Each team member involved in this project had to be inducted so that they could access the area safely.
Aquamark’s expert solutions
We use a combination of abseiling, water-fed poles and hand-held tools for our ongoing window cleaning at Bridges Wharf. With careful route planning, our abseil team has successfully overcome the challenges presented by the stepped design of the building. Despite being known within the industry as a tricky site, we have definitely mastered the abseiling requirements of Bridges Wharf! We have managed the construction site debris by performing regular and thorough cleans for each of the buildings, and paying particular attention to grime-related limescale on the windows. And, knowing the best times to work, we can carry out efficient cleaning that doesn’t disturb the residents.
If you would like to find out more about our work at Bridges Wharf, or want to enquire about any of our commercial cleaning services, contact us at Aquamark Cleaning today.