The critically acclaimed Waterside, British Airways’ prestige corporate headquarters, brings the organisation into a single ‘village’ location close to Heathrow Airport. The 120,000m² complex consists of six four-storey buildings linked by a glazed internal street, which provides access to the offices and facilities and acts as the building’s social hub. Although mainly office space, Waterside offers other mixed use facilities including a supermarket, bank, restaurants and a 400-seat auditorium.

Sited in parkland comparable in scale to Kensington Gardens, Waterside has a professional yet relaxed feel, with sensitive landscaping enhancing the natural waterfront environment. Buro Happold was appointed as part of a team to develop the parkland setting for the development. Our geotechnical engineers advised on the reclamation of the derelict land, providing a ‘clean’ site for the building by removing all waste and replacing it with gravel and clay taken from the parkland site.

The nature of the site – an old landfill tip – led to the decision to place most of the parking capacity below the building. The engineering design allows natural light and ventilation to enter the car park from the courtyard above, helping to make it more welcoming and user-friendly. The building itself is a massive concrete frame structure, so structural engineering solutions, such as elliptical columns, were put in place in the car park to accommodate movement caused by settling and shrinkage.

Date: 1993 - 1998