Royal Docks Waterways has appointed a multidisciplinary team of consultants to lead a nine-month feasibility study into the Floating Residential element of the Vision for Royal Victoria Dock West. The consortium is led by Haptic Architects and Gort Scott, with Stace and Oakridge responsible for the business case. The appointment, made in July, marks the next significant step in delivering what is set to become one of London’s most ambitious waterfront transformations.
The Floating Residential project aims to create a new waterside community through residential moorings and floating homes, with communal infrastructure for both existing land-based and new water-based residents. It is designed to bring year-round life and activity to Royal Victoria Dock West, responding to growing interest in blue-space urbanism and recognising the role water plays in health, identity, ecology and quality of life.
Over the nine-month feasibility study, the consultant team will develop design ideas and a business case, including two periods of public engagement and pre-application meetings with Newham Council’s planners. Royal Docks Waterways will retain responsibility for community and stakeholder engagement throughout, providing continuity for the public while drawing on the consultant team’s expertise.
Scott Derben, Managing Director of Royal Docks Waterways, said:
“We were impressed by the way Haptic Architects, Gort Scott and the wider team approached this project. They are well placed to help us understand whether and how to take forward a first phase of Floating Residential — and they’ve identified how this project can act as a catalyst for the holistic improvement of all of Royal Victoria Dock West, carefully balancing public good with private investment to deliver London’s most welcoming, open and vibrant water-place. We’re looking forward to bringing that thinking to life.”
Scott Grady, Director, Haptic Architects said:
“This is a genuinely unique commission, and we’re excited to be taking it forward with Royal Docks Waterways, the Royal Docks Team, and an exceptional group of consultants. Royal Victoria Dock is a remarkable place with a long and layered history that we are building on. Our job is to bring new life to the water here thoughtfully, with proper care for the dock, its heritage, and its community, designing a place that enables more people to access and enjoy the benefits of being near London’s waterways.”
Public engagement on the Floating Residential concept will begin in October, led by engagement specialistsmake:good. The first of two engagement periods will build on findings from nearly 400 local people who took part in ten sessions earlier this year. A community workshop, drop-in sessions, the return of the popular Thames Sailing Barge “Will,” and an online form will all feature, with sessions dedicated to themes including fair and inclusive blue access, youth futures, dock stories, and ecologies. Full details and the event schedule are available at rvdwactivated.com.
Royal Docks Waterways also expects to decide on its preferred developer-operator for the Floating Wellness project – a year-round wellbeing destination combining a floating lido, sauna and spa experiences alongside expanded open-water swimming provision – by the end of September.
The Vision for Royal Victoria Dock West, published in February 2026, covers a 12-hectare stretch of water and comprises three elements: Floating Residential, Floating Wellness and a Floating Park. It is targeting early phases of delivery within three to five years, supporting the Mayor of London’s wider regeneration of the Royal Docks in partnership with the Mayor of Newham. Royal Victoria Dock West is also well placed to benefit from the Mayor’s recently published Clean Rivers and Waterways Plan, with biodiversity, climate resilience and water quality central to the Vision.
