Challenging residential development constructed on a constrained, sloping site between railway tracks, a highway and existing terraced housing.

Eckersley O’Callaghan engineered the structural design of this challenging new private residential project. The new structure had to be constructed on a sloping site adjacent to mainline railway tracks, in addition to retaining an existing highway and terraced houses on two sides.

Permanent contiguous piles were used on three sides of the site to retain the highway and terraced housing, while an inner reinforced concrete box housed the new structure. The inner box structure comprised a basement with swimming pools, ground floor and first floor. The roof of the first floor supports isolated timber framed pods.

The entire structure was founded on a reinforced concrete raft foundation. The upper floors are reinforced concrete flat slabs spanning between shear walls and isolated columns.

Detailed negotiations were held with Network Rail to ensure that the existing track-side brickwork retaining wall was not surcharged from the new foundations, and an anti-vibration mat was placed under the raft foundation to prevent ground-borne vibrations from the passing trains affecting the new structure and residents.

Location 
London, UK

Client
Private

Architect 
Munkenbeck + Partners