Project

urbanest Battersea Palmerston Court

Exemplar PBSA development incorporating MMC innovations and PassivHaus standards

Project Overview

urbanest Battersea at Palmerston Court is a four-block, student-housing-led mixed-use development located in the heart of London.

Three blocks consist of 850 beds of sector-leading student accommodation, and the fourth block comprises office, enterprise, and community spaces, along with a replacement pub.

Key Features

Appointed at the pre-planning stage, we worked in close coordination with other disciplines to ensure the student housing achieved the rigorous standards required for PassivHaus accreditation. For the office block, we adopted modern methods of construction (MMC) to deliver a high-performance and cost-effective structure.

Overcoming Challenges

Boundary Constraints:
Maximising the usable space on the constrained site was critical. Our solution was to develop 4-6m cantilevers on the lower four floors of all four blocks. This design avoided costly utility diversions and became an iconic architectural feature.

PassivHaus Specification:
The strict requirements of PassivHaus design shaped the structural approach. We reduced slab deflections by designing small floor spans, ensuring airtightness throughout the building. Detailed interdisciplinary coordination was necessary to maintain this airtightness, particularly at door thresholds, window openings, and penetrations. Concrete shafts were also used to support airtightness across the development.

Modern Methods of Construction (MMC):

The office block’s steel frame structure was built using precast cassettes, which integrated secondary steel beams during off-site fabrication. This process minimised on-site waste and sped up the construction program. We also optimized beam spacing for low-carbon concrete use and ensured all components were suitable for efficient delivery and installation.

Results included reduced costs, programme acceleration and improved sustainability:

The extensive use of MMC reduced waste and improved the speed of construction
Collaboration with Mace allowed for a 70% cement replacement mix in the substructure, significantly reducing embodied carbon
The small span superstructure design resulted in a low embodied carbon frame, further enhancing the project’s sustainability credentials

Client

Urbanest

Architect

AHMM

Contractor

Mace

Completion Date2024

Services

Sectors

Specialisms

Location

Battersea ,
London

Walsh devised a huge cantilever transfer system bridging over a number of Victorian sewers, large electricity tunnels, and a variety of other services, each with different movement criteria, enabling the commencement of the typical structural layout.

The cantilever helped us expand the gross area of the property by around 15%, without which the site could not have been developed. Not to mention the two railways running adjacent to the property, for which Walsh led all the approval work.

Walsh were great to work with on the project. Collaborative and flexible throughout, the team was always ready to adapt to changes and offer solutions to assist other design team members. They quickly provided detailed and accurate information for the construction team and were always on hand to help resolve problems on site promptly.

Their ability to handle challenges was impressive, and they played a key role in ensuring we met sustainability targets, particularly when incorporating low-carbon concrete technology. We appreciated their practical approach and dedication to delivering on time.

Angus Kearin, Director, Urbanest Group

Please click on images below to open a full-screen gallery.

Palmerston Court Office Space with View Looking Towards Facade

Palmerston Court Typical Floor Plate with Precast Core & Cassette Construction with View back to Core

Palmerston Court Typical Floor Plate with View back to Core

Palmerston Court Lower Level Floor Plate with View Looking Towards Facade

Palmerston Court Interior in Construction

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Taking Sustainability Seriously

Sustainability is in our DNA and we have our own ambitious goals to achieve Net Zero as a business and with our designs. With innovative in-house monitoring tools, Walsh clients have seen on average reductions of 10-20% total embodied carbon, with some of our flagship work achieving 60-70% reductions compared with baseline figures.