Kent is one of the most active development counties in the South East. Ebbsfleet Garden City, the Medway waterfront regeneration and the rapid residential expansion along the HS1 corridor have created a sustained demand for high-performance facade solutions — at scale, at pace and to exacting compliance standards.
OCL bring specialist facade expertise to this environment. We understand the demands of volume residential delivery, the technical requirements of waterfront and coastal exposure, and the planning sensitivities of Kent’s many historic towns – from Canterbury and Tunbridge Wells to Faversham and Deal.
Kent’s building landscape is genuinely varied – post-war estates undergoing remediation sit alongside landmark regeneration schemes and sensitive heritage infill. Our in-house design team are experienced in navigating this diversity, providing technical solutions that work across different construction types, planning contexts and procurement routes.
We work directly with main contractors, developers and design teams from early-stage feasibility through to handover, ensuring every facade is delivered with the performance, safety compliance and visual quality the project demands.
Kent’s coastal and estuarial locations – from Gravesend and the Thames Gateway to Folkestone and the Channel towns — place significant demands on external envelope performance. Wind-driven rain, salt air and temperature cycling make system selection critical, not cosmetic.
OCL specify and install rainscreen cladding systems chosen for their proven performance in exposed conditions, using materials including Aluminium, Stone, Timber, Composite, Terracotta, Zinc, GRC and Brick Slip. We work across Kent’s full development spectrum — from large-scale housing delivery in the Medway towns to sensitive regeneration schemes in historic coastal settings.
All system recommendations are supported by full fire performance assessments and detailing that meets current building safety legislation — particularly important given the volume of higher-risk residential buildings now entering remediation across the county.
The pace of residential delivery across Kent, particularly on large sites at Ebbsfleet, Otterpool Park and across the Medway Growth corridor — places a premium on structural systems that can be installed efficiently without sacrificing quality or compliance.
Steel Framing Systems (SFS) are ideally suited to this environment. Manufactured from cold-rolled, galvanised steel, SFS delivers a lightweight but structurally robust substrate for insulation, external cladding and internal finishes. Off-site pre-fabrication reduces programme risk and minimises on-site waste — a significant advantage on large, multi-phase Kent developments where sequencing and trade coordination are critical.
OCL manage the complete SFS package, from structural design coordination through to installation, backed by manufacturer warranties and in-house quality oversight.
Render remains a prominent feature of Kent’s residential and commercial building stock, from the rendered terraces of Margate’s Turner Contemporary quarter to new-build housing across the county’s expanding towns. Specifying the right system for each context is where technical knowledge matters most.
OCL are approved applicators for systems from Alsecco, Envirowall, Sto and Weber. We advise on substrate suitability, exposure classification and finish specification, ensuring the render system performs structurally and aesthetically over the long term, whether applied to traditional masonry in a conservation area or within an insulated facade system on a contemporary residential development.
Durability, crack resistance and low maintenance are central to every render specification we produce for Kent-based projects.
OCL are approved installers for curtain walling systems from Aluprof, Metal Technologies, Reynaers, SAPA and Schueco.
Kent’s commercial and mixed-use developments, from Maidstone and Ashford town centres to emerging employment hubs along the M2 and M20, increasingly specify curtain walling to achieve the light, open and thermally efficient facades that modern occupiers and planning frameworks demand.
As approved installers for systems from Aluprof, Metal Technologies, Reynaers, SAPA and Schueco, OCL deliver the full range of glazed facade solutions: capped, silicone-glazed, structural bolted, free-span and fire-rated. We manage every aspect of the installation, from system selection and design coordination through to final inspection, ensuring performance, compliance and design intent are fully realised on every Kent project.
Aluminium Windows
OCL install aluminium window systems from Aluprof, Metal Technologies, Reynaers, SAPA and Schueco. In Kent’s high-volume residential environment, aluminium’s strength, slim sightlines and long service life make it a consistently specified choice, delivering contemporary aesthetics without the maintenance burden of alternative materials.
Aluminium Timber Composite Windows
For higher-specification residential schemes and projects in character-sensitive locations, particularly around Kent’s historic towns and conservation areas, aluminium timber composite windows from Ideal Combi, Lieb, NorDan, Internorm, Uniform Architectural and Velfac offer the warmth and visual quality of timber with the weather resistance and low maintenance of aluminium. U-values as low as 0.7 W/m²K support compliance with current energy performance requirements.
Facade design in Kent increasingly extends beyond the primary envelope. Balconies, balustrades, louvres, brise soleil and mesh facades are integral elements of contemporary residential and commercial buildings, and they must be engineered to the same standard as the structure they serve.
OCL design, fabricate and install bespoke architectural metalwork to complement our facade packages, ensuring these components are fully coordinated with the wider envelope from the outset. Across Kent’s varied development pipeline, from waterfront apartments to town centre mixed-use, this integrated approach reduces programme risk and delivers a cohesive finished result.
Berkeley Group
St William Homes
£7.25m
144 weeks
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Mount Anvil
Mount Anvil
£9.6m
1) Block A and G – 52 weeks 2) Block B1 and B4 – 57 weeks
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Pellings LLP
OCL Reclad Limited
£7m
80 weeks
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Bellway Homes
OCL Reclad Limited
£1.3m
30 weeks
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Mount Anvil
Main Contractor
£8.5m
82 weeks
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Vistry Group
Vistry
£23M
110 weeks
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Rainscreen Cladding
