Oaklands Rise

Holistic approach and innovative foundation design makes scheme viable

Oaklands Rise is Phase One of the Old Oak regeneration plan and comprised three separate blocks, namely A, B and C, with feature commercial spaces at ground floor with a basement beneath each block. The basements provide space for a combination of car parking, storage and plant. Walsh provided Civil and Structural engineering services from early RIBA stage 3 through construction to RIBA stage 6.

The blocks vary from six to 27 storeys, providing over 600 new homes, 3,000m2 of office and commercial space, and extensive landscaped public areas. From the early design stage, Walsh collaborated with the architect CZWG, taking a holistic approach to produce a scheme that was economic, met client’s brief and delivered architectural expression.

Walsh also provided support to obtain approval in principle from various third parties such as HS2, Network Rail and utilities companies. In particular, the challenging constraints imposed by HS2 were met by liaising with HS2’s team and providing an innovative foundation solution that overcame the constraints. As a result, piles and foundations supporting the cores and columns over the HS2 deviation zone were designed as piled raft with piles acting as settlement reducing piles. Walsh’s hands-on approach and designs led to the scheme becoming viable.