Westfield Phase 2

London, UK

Project details
Client

Westfield Europe Ltd

Architect

Sheppard Robson

Services provided by Buro Happold

Bridge engineering and civil structures, Design Project Management, Infrastructure, Security and Technology

Located in Shepherd’s Bush in the centre of England’s capital, Westfield London Phase 2 is a major new extension to the existing retail centre. The development features both major brand and luxury stores, a new restaurant wing, a cinema and spaces for special events, as well as housing John Lewis’s flagship store. Buro Happold led the design services to support the second phase of the project, working on a number of civil and infrastructure elements of the development.

Challenge

The site was particularly challenging due to the complex utilities and transport already present on the site, including deep drains and London Underground tunnels.

The client had a number of requirements, including the need to develop a site-wide surface and foul water management strategy. There was also a need for 1800m3 of surface water attenuation storage to reduce the risk of flooding. In addition, we needed to ensure the system would be extend to protect a future development of 1,500 residential units.

A further task for our engineers was to ensure the public realm was ‘events ready’, so we needed to incorporate power, water and data connectivity for pop-up units.

Solution

We designed a highway network within the confined site, situating the roads above the basement car park and beneath the proposed structure. This solution required detailed consideration of vehicle restraint systems to protect the building.

Our engineers designed a network of ‘surcharge only’ attenuation tanks, which meant excavation requirements across the whole site could be minimised. This meant that we were able to limit the impact on the existing shopping centre and White City Bus Station, allowing them to remain operational during the works.

Further adding value to the project, we supported the client through a number of value engineering proposals, putting forward solutions for drainage, utilities and highways works. Most significantly, we delivered a design to relocate the TfL Dimco Bus Layover, which included 19 bus stands, to a new space. The new, undercover space included column protection, reversing sensors and traffic lights to maximise the use of space.

Value

Our engineering input offered long-term protection to this busy city centre site, shielding the development from the risk of flood, while providing the optimal options for transport and utilities management. Our work also ensured that the existing retail spaces and transport links were able to remain operational, limiting the impact on both businesses and clients.

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