Greenwich Millennium Village phases 3, 4 and 5

We are involved in phases 1 to 5 of Greenwich Millennium Village, a mixed-use development that includes a school, waterways, parkland and a football pitch as well as a wide variety of residences, including affordable housing. For phases 3, 4 and 5 we are engineering 12 residential buildings, a nursery, community building and a prefabricated six storey carpark.

We’re producing a tender uniquely devised to promote a competitive overall costing. By designing for three alternate methods of construction — flat slab, post tensioning and bubbledeck — we've placed the contractor in a strong position to secure the most economic solution in the current marketplace. This ultra-flexible design also means the scheme may be modified at a later stage at minimal expense.

The concrete framed structures — each with a steel frame upper storey — house a total of 1,700 flats. Clad in timber or rendered masonry, and with barrel vaulted steel roofs, these residences chime with those built during earlier phases.

environmental due diligence

Greenwich Peninsula was once the site of the largest gasworks in Europe and is now the subject of a phased masterplan for mixed use development. The peninsula was partly remediated in the 1990s and then split into parcels for phased construction. The ground is clay with 6-7m of contamination above it, topped with a 1m cap.

Our environmental consultants have been involved from the early stages of the project, providing guidance to the client and design team on potential environmental issues and appropriate construction methods. The main objective during phases 3, 4 and 5 was to protect services and ensure contaminants were not mobilised by works, while providing efficient gas protection measures.

The remediation strategy was reviewed to ensure the proposed construction works complied with the agreed approach. Risk assessments and monitoring across the whole site accurately identified any areas of concern. Bespoke foundation strategies were developed in response to the differing conditions revealed. Additional capping measures, such as less permeable paving, were prescribed in areas where excavation was planned. Modifications to the capping layer enabled it to both store rainwater to attenuate drainage and provide a barrier to the ground below.

Liability for ground remediation – and in particular ground water contamination – was transferred to our client part way through the project and we undertook an environmental due diligence report on their behalf. In addition, results from monitoring of earlier phases showed that the gas protection measures in place had out-performed the prescribed codes. We liaised with the relevant authorities who approved a reduction in the venting layer for phases 3,4 and 5, with associated cost benefits.

masterplanning & urban development

One of the largest regeneration schemes currently in London, this new development is laid out over 15 ha on the southern end of Greenwich Peninsula. When completed, it will feature more than 1,700 residences as well as commercial spaces, industrial units, multi-storey car park and community centres. Our work on the previous phases led to our being appointed on phases 3-5, to provide drainage design, ground modelling and the reconfiguration of the existing highway, as well as environmental due diligence.

Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) will be implemented on site wherever possible to reduce the risk of flooding. Specific SuDS technologies proposed include green roofs, dry swales, plant irrigation, water recycling, underground attenuation and porous paving.

The site is heavily contaminated as a result of its historical use as gas works, steel works and fuel depot. Although the ground was partly remediated in the 1990s, many of the contamination risks remain. Our environmental consultants have been involved from the early stages of the project, providing guidance to the client and design team on potential environmental issues and appropriate construction methods.