A COUNTY firm has been instrumental in creating a unique concave office building.

Suckley’s Winthill Engineering designed and manufactured a stainless steel support system behind The Scoop in Southwark, London.

The modern architecture is next to the Grade II-listed, 19th-century Church of Most Precious Blood.

The church’s circular window is now framed by a conical cut-out facade which allowed the offices to be extended out in front, also creating a roof garden and protecting the Roman Catholic building.

Bespoke metalwork specialists Winthill, based at Bruff Business Centre, was founded by engineering director Tom Blakeman.

Mr Blakeman said: “We brought it forward from the existing building to meet each brick and to match the curve of the facade.

“The overhang was the greatest challenge — every brick position is different.

“They are all individually placed on a shelf, each one moving in a compound curve.

“There is no structural pattern. It is a curve within a curve.”

Winthill fabricated seven plasma-cut stainless steel vertical ribs which attach to horizontal steels within the building’s structure to create the curve.

Mr Blakeman continued: “Stainless steel cassettes then support the individual bricks.

“Each cassette houses between three and 10 rows of bricks.

“Two cheek plates were added either side of the laser cut stainless steel shelves to form a cassette and these are then slotted in between the ribs and fixed.

“Stainless steel is very difficult to control when you add heat at this scale, especially given the tolerances required.

“Typically, you’d have a couple of millimetres to work with but here the tolerance was zero.

“We used the 3D parametric modelling to align the known parts to highlight any inaccuracies as the build progressed.”

The project was completed by Winthill supported by sub-contractors Josh Delisle and Mike Driver. County Powder Coating, based next door to Winthill, coated the steel to complement the white glazed bricks and Worcester’s Dero Fabrication provided additional welding support.

Henry Jones, associate at designers Corstorphine and Wright, said: “Winthill were professional, knowledgeable, helpful and proactive throughout the project.

“The completion of the Scoop is testament to the vision and support of the client and building owners (ThomsonHillsBalfour Limited) and all our professional partners.”

For more details on the firm, visit www.winthill.co.uk.