52 Clarence Avenue is a private gated development of five four-bedroom houses in Clapham, SW4 — a prestige residential new build in one of South London's most sought-after addresses, developed by Mera Real Estate Ltd. Timber Cladding Specialists supplied and installed approximately 420m² of Siberian larch shiplap cladding across the five houses, along with bespoke Siberian larch window louvres manufactured to drawing — one of the more technically demanding residential cladding packages we have delivered, requiring precision joinery work alongside the standard cladding installation.
52 Clarence Avenue, Clapham SW4 — completed Siberian larch shiplap cladding across the five-house development. The warm honey-gold of fresh larch will weather naturally to silver-grey over time, requiring no ongoing treatment throughout the buildings' service life.
The Project — Five Prestige Houses in Clapham SW4
See our guide on whether timber cladding adds value and our modern extensions cladding guide. Clarence Avenue in Clapham is one of the most desirable residential streets in South London — close to Clapham Common, convenient to the Northern Line, and within the established Clapham residential character that commands a significant price premium over neighbouring areas. The development at number 52 — five four-bedroom houses arranged over ground, lower ground and first floors on a private gated site of approximately 0.25 acres — was conceived by developer Mera Real Estate Ltd as a high-specification private scheme where material quality and finish were non-negotiable.
The cladding specification — Siberian larch shiplap 20x146mm Grade AB — was chosen for its natural Durability Class 3 performance, its warm honey-gold character appropriate to a premium London residential development, and its low-maintenance credentials important to future homeowners who would not want an ongoing treatment obligation. The bespoke louvre elements added a further layer of design intent — precision-manufactured timber louvres in Siberian larch to match the cladding, providing solar shading and visual detail at the window openings across the five buildings.
Siberian larch shiplap cladding across the elevations of 52 Clarence Avenue — the consistent shiplap profile produces a refined horizontal rhythm across the facade, suited to the high-specification character of the development. Grade AB larch was specified throughout for the cleanest, most consistent board face.
The Specification
| Element | Specification |
|---|---|
| Cladding species & profile | Siberian Larch Shiplap Grade AB — 20x146mm x 4m |
| Area | ~420m² coverage (421m² boards ordered including 10% wastage) |
| Battens | Siberian larch battens 20x90mm and 45x45mm, plus sawn green treated FSC battens 25x50mm at 500–600mm centres |
| Fixings | PFS+ C2 stainless steel hardwood screws 4.5x45mm throughout |
| Surface treatment | Remmers Premium Clear UV Protection oil — 2 coats to face and back of cladding |
| Bespoke element | Siberian larch window louvres — manufactured to drawing, supplied and installed to all window openings across all five houses |
| Corner & reveal boards | Corner posts and door/window reveal boards in Siberian larch, fitted with appropriate fixings per drawings BR-18 Rev C / BR-11 Rev D |
| Installation | 3-person team (working foreman joiner — SMSTS/First Aid/PASMA qualified, joiner/carpenter, handyman/decorator) over 15 working days |
| Access | Advance Guard Rail towers 1.45x2.5m x 6.7m — PASMA-compliant working at height throughout |
Bespoke Siberian Larch Window Louvres
Bespoke Siberian larch window louvres at 52 Clarence Avenue — manufactured to drawing in our own workshop and installed to all window openings across the five houses. The louvres provide solar shading, visual depth, and a design detail that elevates the facade beyond a standard shiplap cladding installation.
The bespoke louvre elements were one of the defining features of the 52 Clarence Avenue cladding package — and the element that most clearly distinguishes this project from a standard supply-and-fix installation. Siberian larch louvres were manufactured to the architect's drawings in matching Grade AB larch, sized to correspond precisely with the window openings across all five houses, and installed as a continuous design element across the facade.
See our cladding detail drawings guide for how we approach joinery junction detailing. Manufacturing bespoke timber louvres to drawing requires a different level of workshop precision than standard cladding installation — each louvre assembly must be dimensionally accurate, squarely fabricated, and finished consistently before site installation. The matching of louvre finish and species to the main cladding boards ensures the facade reads as a single designed material rather than two separate elements. This kind of bespoke joinery capability — manufacturing to drawing in the same species as the cladding — is something not all cladding suppliers can offer.
Detail and Elevation — Completed Works
Window reveal detail and completed elevation — the precision of the junction between the shiplap cladding boards and the bespoke louvre assemblies is the mark of a joinery-quality installation rather than a straightforward fix-and-go cladding operation.
Completed cladding across the 52 Clarence Avenue development — 420m² of Siberian larch shiplap across five four-bedroom houses, with matching bespoke louvres at all window openings. The development is fully gated and privately accessed from Clarence Avenue.
What This Project Demonstrates
The 52 Clarence Avenue project is TCS's longest-standing case study in the residential development sector, and it captures several capabilities that remain directly relevant to developers, architects, and main contractors pricing residential cladding packages today:
- Developer-direct working: We work directly with developers as well as through main contractors — providing a single point of contact for supply, manufacture, and installation without the additional layer of a main contractor margin
- Scale across multiple units: 420m² across five houses required a sustained 15-day programme with a three-person team. Managing cladding across multiple units simultaneously — coordinating sequencing, material deliveries, and access — is a different operational challenge from a single building
- Bespoke joinery capability: The louvre manufacture demonstrates that TCS can produce bespoke timber joinery elements to drawing in the same species as the cladding — not just install standard stock profiles
- PASMA-qualified working at height: See our cladding installation guide and fixings guide. All elevated installation work was carried out by PASMA-qualified operatives using compliant access equipment — a standard we maintain on all commercial and residential projects
- Premium residential finish standard: On a prestige Clapham SW4 development targeting high-net-worth buyers, the standard of cladding finish and joinery detail had to match the specification of the rest of the building. Grade AB larch, precision-fitted reveals, and consistent louvre alignment across five buildings is the benchmark we work to
Siberian larch is the most specified naturally durable cladding species for London residential new-build and refurbishment projects — the combination of natural Class 3 durability (no treatment required), warm honey-gold aesthetic that weathers gracefully to silver-grey, and competitive pricing against alternatives like western red cedar or hardwoods makes it the default premium timber cladding choice for developers across the capital. See our full Siberian larch cladding buyers guide and cost guide for the full specification and pricing picture.
Residential Timber Cladding — Developer & Main Contractor Supply & Install
We supply and install ThermoWood, Siberian larch, and Nordic spruce cladding on residential new-build and refurbishment projects across the UK — working directly with developers or as specialist subcontractor to main contractors. Bespoke joinery elements including louvres, reveals, and corner boards manufactured to drawing in matching species. FSC and PEFC certified. Contact us for early-stage budgets or tender pricing.