# 15 Blue Lion Place. Black-finished Siberian larch cladding. Southwark, London SE1. > Over 6,500 m of fire-retardant, black-finished Siberian larch cladding, with W. L. West, for the Electoral Reform Society's Southwark headquarters, 2019. > HTML version: https://dmitrodevelopment.co.uk/projects/blue-lion-place-southwark/ The team behind Dmitro Development worked with W. L. West & Sons on the supply of the Siberian larch cladding for the gabled upper floors of the Electoral Reform Society's Southwark headquarters. ![Black vertical timber cladding on the gabled upper floors of 15 Blue Lion Place above a dark brick base, Southwark](https://dmitrodevelopment.co.uk/assets/projects/blue-lion-place-southwark/blue-lion-place-southwark-black-vertical-timber-cladding-gabled-upper-fallback.jpg) 01 · The black larch gable of 15 Blue Lion Place, Southwark. 15 Blue Lion Place, the Electoral Reform Society's five-storey headquarters near Bermondsey Street, Southwark. Its gabled upper floors are clad in vertical battens of black-finished Siberian larch above a grey brick plinth. The team behind Dmitro Development collaborated with W. L. West & Sons on the supply of the larch cladding package: over 6,500 linear metres of fire-retardant treated, 45 × 45 mm timber, for a building completed in 2019. ## At a glance - **Package**: Black-finished Siberian larch cladding - **Length**: Over 6,500 linear metres - **Client**: Electoral Reform Society - **Completed**: 2019 The larch forms the whole upper envelope of 15 Blue Lion Place, a compact gabled office near Bermondsey Street and Long Lane: vertical battens rising to the ridge and wrapping around the tall windows. [Part of: Cladding and facade](https://dmitrodevelopment.co.uk/facade-cladding/) ## 02 · A hand sketch of the gable: battened upper floors, stacked windows and a solid base. ![Pen sketch of a gabled building with vertical battens on the upper floors, two stacked windows and a large ground-floor window, with people at street level](https://dmitrodevelopment.co.uk/assets/projects/blue-lion-place-southwark/blue-lion-place-southwark-pen-sketch-gabled-building-vertical-battens-fallback.jpg) A hand sketch of 15 Blue Lion Place, drawing the gabled form with vertical battens across the upper floors, two stacked window openings above a large ground-floor window, and a plain base with figures at street level for scale. ## 03 · The finished gable: black larch battens above the grey brick plinth. ![Completed gable of 15 Blue Lion Place, black vertical larch battens over a grey brick base with stacked steel-framed windows, beside a warehouse conversion](https://dmitrodevelopment.co.uk/assets/projects/blue-lion-place-southwark/blue-lion-place-southwark-larch-cladding-blue-lion-place-black-coated-siberian-larch-c-fallback.jpg) The completed gable elevation of 15 Blue Lion Place, the black-finished Siberian larch battens running from the top of the grey brick plinth to the ridge, around the stacked steel-framed windows. ## 04 · 45 × 45 mm Unsorted-grade Siberian larch. Square-section battens run vertically across the upper floors and step around each stacked window, with a fine horizontal joint between runs. ![Close view of black vertical larch battens around a tall grid of steel-framed windows at 15 Blue Lion Place](https://dmitrodevelopment.co.uk/assets/projects/blue-lion-place-southwark/blue-lion-place-southwark-black-vertical-larch-battens-tall-grid-fallback.jpg) A close view of the larch cladding at 15 Blue Lion Place: square-section 45 × 45 mm battens of Unsorted-grade Siberian larch, set vertically and stepping around a stacked window opening, with a fine horizontal joint between each run. ## Cut, planed and treated before it reached site W. L. West & Sons cut the Siberian larch to width and planed two faces. PTG Treatments then applied a fire-retardant treatment, and every length was finished black on all four sides. ![Mill operative in ear defenders feeding a length of larch into a cutting machine, with offcuts stacked behind](https://dmitrodevelopment.co.uk/assets/projects/blue-lion-place-southwark/blue-lion-place-southwark-larch-cladding-cutting-cladding-cs-blp-fallback.jpg) 05 · Larch lengths fed through the saw at the mill. Siberian larch being machined at the mill. For Blue Lion Place, W. L. West & Sons cut the timber to width and planed two faces before it went for fire-retardant treatment. ![Strapped bundles of pale cut larch stacked on bearers in a timber shed](https://dmitrodevelopment.co.uk/assets/projects/blue-lion-place-southwark/blue-lion-place-southwark-strapped-bundles-pale-cut-larch-stacked-fallback.jpg) 06 · Strapped bundles of cut larch, stacked in the timber shed. Bundles of cut Siberian larch stacked and strapped on bearers in a timber shed, before they went for fire-retardant treatment. ## 07 · Lettering fixed straight onto the black larch. At the end of the pedestrian lane, the building's number and name, 15 Blue Lion Place SE1, are fixed in white letters across the battens. The black timber reads against the orange and yellow brick of its neighbours. ![Black larch-clad gable lettered 15 Blue Lion Place SE1 at the end of a paved lane, between brick buildings, with bicycles by the fence](https://dmitrodevelopment.co.uk/assets/projects/blue-lion-place-southwark/blue-lion-place-southwark-black-larch-clad-gable-lettered-fallback.jpg) The black larch gable of 15 Blue Lion Place at the end of the pedestrian lane, the lettering "15 Blue Lion Place SE1" fixed across the battens, set against the orange and yellow brick of the neighbouring buildings. The building ## Five storeys, from planning approval to occupation in under two years. The Society bought the site in 2016. Southwark's Planning Sub-Committee approved the demolition of the existing building and a new office in March 2018. Construction began that November, and the Society moved in in January 2020. Trehearne Architects kept the palette to brick, black timber and large Crittall-style windows. P3R Engineers designed the services around individual heat-pump systems on each floor. - Eaves: 14 metres - Ridge: 17.6 metres - Footprint: 100.5 square metres - Office floorspace: 496 square metres - BREEAM: Very Good, 59.2% ## 08 · The gable across the paved courtyard, beside a converted brick and stone warehouse. ![15 Blue Lion Place across a red-brick paved courtyard, its black larch gable beside a converted warehouse with stone piers and steel windows](https://dmitrodevelopment.co.uk/assets/projects/blue-lion-place-southwark/blue-lion-place-southwark-15-red-brick-paved-courtyard-black-fallback.jpg) 15 Blue Lion Place from the paved courtyard it shares with its neighbours: the black larch upper floors and grey brick base stand beside a converted warehouse of brick, stone piers and steel windows, with a red-brick building behind. ## 09 · A tall steel-framed window runs up the side elevation into the larch. ![Side elevation of 15 Blue Lion Place with a tall steel-framed window rising through grey brick into black larch battens, beside a warehouse conversion with a parked car](https://dmitrodevelopment.co.uk/assets/projects/blue-lion-place-southwark/blue-lion-place-southwark-side-elevation-15-tall-steel-framed-fallback.jpg) The side elevation of 15 Blue Lion Place from the courtyard: a tall steel-framed window rises through the brickwork and into the black larch cladding above. ## 10 · The gable in evening light, the office floors lit from within. ![15 Blue Lion Place in evening light, lit office floors behind stacked windows in the black larch gable, a cyclist in the courtyard](https://dmitrodevelopment.co.uk/assets/projects/blue-lion-place-southwark/blue-lion-place-southwark-15-evening-light-lit-office-floors-fallback.jpg) 15 Blue Lion Place in evening light from the courtyard, the black larch gable rising above the grey brick plinth and the office floors lit behind the stacked steel-framed windows, between a brick-clad block and the neighbouring warehouse. ## 11 · Under an overcast sky, the ribbed texture of the battens reads across the whole gable. ![Black larch gable lettered 15 Blue Lion Place SE1 under a grey sky, seen from a paved lane with a planter and cycle stands](https://dmitrodevelopment.co.uk/assets/projects/blue-lion-place-southwark/blue-lion-place-southwark-black-larch-gable-lettered-15-se1-fallback.jpg) The black larch gable of 15 Blue Lion Place under an overcast sky, seen from the pedestrian lane, with "15 Blue Lion Place SE1" lettered high on the battens and the grey brick plinth behind the boundary fence. ## Inside, before fit-out The structure, glazing and interiors are the wider project team's work; the larch cladding outside was this package. ![Stair rising beside an old brick wall towards a gridded steel-framed window, timber balustrade and exposed joists overhead](https://dmitrodevelopment.co.uk/assets/projects/blue-lion-place-southwark/blue-lion-place-southwark-stair-rising-old-brick-wall-gridded-fallback.jpg) 12 · The stair rising towards a steel-framed window, during construction. Inside 15 Blue Lion Place during construction: a stair rising beside an old brick wall towards a gridded steel-framed window, with temporary timber balustrading and the floor structure still exposed overhead. ![Full-height glass-block window glowing between boarded metal-framed walls under exposed galvanised joists](https://dmitrodevelopment.co.uk/assets/projects/blue-lion-place-southwark/blue-lion-place-southwark-full-height-glass-block-window-glowing-fallback.jpg) 13 · A glass-block window between boarded walls and exposed joists, before fit-out. An office floor at 15 Blue Lion Place before fit-out: a full-height glass-block window set between boarded, metal-framed walls, under exposed galvanised joists. ## A gable of black Siberian larch. 15 Blue Lion Place, London SE1 4PU - **Architect**: Trehearne Architects - **Main contractor**: MAC Interiors - **Timber supplier**: W. L. West & Sons - **Fire-retardant treatment**: PTG Treatments ## Related projects - [Cranleigh Health Centre. 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