Wellington Road
London

A new high-end residential development on Wellington Road, with a five-storey concrete frame and a double-storey basement. The technically challenging location—right next to the Jubilee and Metropolitan Line tunnels – meant the design work required complex and careful liaison with London Underground to justify the scheme, specifically ensuring the ground movement and stresses were within acceptable magnitudes.

Basements this deep can introduce significant challenges, particularly in a site like this. We used a ‘top-down’ construction, whereby, rather than digging down first, we cast the ground floor slab first onto temporary piles and then excavated beneath it while simultaneously building upwards. This allowed to the appropriate balance of weight to limit unwanted movements caused by the unloading resulting from the excavation of the basement.

To maximise basement space, we worked closely with the architect, geotechnical engineers, and waterproofing specialists on a bespoke solution. This involved a carefully engineered combination of multi-stage reinforced concrete underpins and a contiguous piled perimeter wall. At the lower basement level, we incorporated a transfer slab and a full-length ramp to allow easy car access.

Because of the LU tunnels, we couldn’t rely on deep piles. Instead, we designed a thick raft slab foundation, spreading the building’s load efficiently and preventing any stress build-up that could affect the tunnels. It was a smart, well-balanced solution that ensured both safety and performance.

With a location like this, approvals were never going to be straightforward. We worked closely with LU and engaged with neighbours on party wall agreements. Temporary works were equally complex, requiring careful coordination on both sides of the site.

Project Information

Client

Castle Trading Limited

Architect

Alan Power Architects

Status

Completed 2022

Value

£12m

Photography

Hufton + Crow

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