Riverside living at Paynes & Borthwick
Paynes & Borthwick Wharves in West Greenwich, SE8, was a 267-home riverside scheme valued at 120 million pounds, delivered by United House, a BREE legacy company. Completed in autumn 2013, the development was undertaken by United House Developments in joint venture with JER Partners, with construction running from November 2011.
The scheme created a new residential quarter on the Thames waterfront in Deptford, combining new build with the restoration of historic fabric to create a distinctive riverside address.
A landmark tower and a restored wharf
Designed by Assael Architecture, the development is anchored by the 18-storey Knights Tower, which gives the scheme its riverside presence and provides apartments with views across the Thames. Alongside the new build, the project restored the Grade II listed Paynes Wharf, retaining a piece of the area's maritime heritage within the new neighbourhood.
The 267 homes were delivered with structural and engineering input from specialist consultants, reflecting the demands of building a tall riverside scheme on a constrained waterfront site.
The site itself carried significant constraints, sitting tight against the Thames on a former wharf where access, ground conditions and the listed structure all shaped the construction approach. Managing the build of a tall tower alongside a heritage restoration on a single waterfront plot demanded close coordination of the works.
Heritage and new homes combined
Paynes & Borthwick Wharves brought a substantial number of new riverside homes to Greenwich while protecting the listed structure at its heart. The blend of a contemporary tower and a restored historic wharf gave the development its character and its sense of place on the Deptford riverside.
The scheme remains a strong example of BREE's legacy work delivering complex, high-value residential development on challenging London sites.
The mix of homes, from the landmark tower to the lower riverside elements, created a varied development with a strong relationship to the water. United House Developments led the scheme as part of its joint venture with JER Partners, taking the project from start on site in November 2011 through to completion in autumn 2013.
