Strand East is a landmark regeneration project in East London, transforming a derelict industrial site into a thriving new neighbourhood just minutes from the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Developed by Vastint, the real estate arm of the IKEA Group, the 26-acre masterplan blends homes, workspaces, and community life into a modern, sustainable urban quarter.

The vision for Strand East is unfolding across three phases and will ultimately deliver 1,200 new homes—over 40% of which are three-bedroom or larger, reflecting a commitment to family living in the heart of the city. The masterplan also includes two hotels, one of which will accommodate 350 rooms, a new primary school, and over 600,000 sq ft of commercial space encompassing offices, shops, cafés, restaurants, and community facilities.

Andrew Link led the Project Management team seconded into which played a pivotal role in shaping the delivery of this ambitious masterplan, providing the phasing logic and programming detail for the entire site. This included the planning and coordination of early-stage remediation, river wall works, site-wide infrastructure and utilities, and the full range of construction activities. In particular, Andrew oversaw the construction programme for each of the nine residential plots, ensuring timelines and interfaces were carefully aligned to support the phased delivery approach.

During RIBA Stages 2 and 3, Andrew and his team successfully led three separate design teams through planning for the first tranche of residential blocks. Each block carried a development value of around £50 million, and the team achieved the necessary approvals while also managing the pressures of programme and quality. Parallel to this, Andrew and his team oversaw the management of Stage 3 design and led the fast-tracked tendering of seven commercial buildings simultaneously—an intensive effort that enabled the client to understand their cost outcome for the scheme.

The cluster of unique offices and workspaces included:

• Building 1 – 5 storey, office use new building with brick cladding (21,000 sq ft)

• Building 3 – New 7 storey office building (26,000 sq ft)

• Building 4 – New 2 storey bar and event space (4,000 sq ft)

• Building 5 – Extension to existing 3 storey Victorian warehouse office use (12,000 sq ft)

• Building 6 – New 4 storey office building (19,000 sq ft)

• Building 7 – New 2 storey office building (9,000 sq ft)

• Building 16 – Extensions to existing 6 storey warehouse to create 4 No. B1 units and 8 No residential units (11,000 sq ft)

The projects used a variety of traditional and large timber structural methods to both refurbish existing historic buildings, and create new structures to sit alongside them – including pure CLT, a combination of glulam and CLT and a CLT and steel hybrid structure.

In line with the existing industrial character of the site, the new buildings are low-rise, with clear forms, and whilst the use of brickwork was key in creating a site-wide vernacular. Exposed timber is used throughout to promote a healthy and comfortable work environment. Lanes are also used between the buildings to frame views of the river and reinforce links to the public domain.

Andrew's strategic approach extended to procurement, where he scoped and tendered early construction packages, including site surveys, investigations, piling and groundworks. One particularly impactful recommendation — detailed pile testing before going to market—allowed the design team to reduce the safety factors applied to the 11,000 proposed piles. This proactive measure contributed to a remarkable cost saving of approximately £9.5 million.