The Fitzrovia

The current site, which incorporates five buildings — 247 Tottenham Court Road / 3 Bayley Street / 1 – 4 Morwell Street, is almost sixty years old and is no longer considered fit for modern working requirements. 247 Tottenham Court Road is the largest out of all buildings being a 5-storey high building with a basement, 3 Bayley Street is a 5-storey high residential building and 1- 4 are 2-storey high buildings. The new scheme encompasses a mix of retail spaces on the ground and lower floors and eight new homes accessed via Morwell Street. The completed development will meet the highest environmental standards, with a minimum target rating of BREEAM Excellent.

The works affect the structures known as 247 Tottenham Court Road, 3 Bayley Street, 1 Morwell Street, 2/3 Morwell Street and 4 Morwell Street, which form 5 buildings in total.

The works are also being undertaken to WELLv2 (Core) requirements in preparation for final certification by the client.

• soft stripping, asbestos removal, hard demolition, piling works, excavation and substructure works
• urban demolition multiple structures up to 7-stories high
• secant piled wall installation
• bulk excavation to formation level.

There are a number of challenges associated with the project, typical of central London project delivery. Logistically, with Tottenham Court Road only open to busses, we sought to seek the least impactful route for our construction traffic utilising Bedford Square and Morwell Street.

This included significant engagement with local stakeholders through background vibration monitoring and traffic impact assessments.

Furthermore, with the building being demolished, welfare and office facilities were lacking. Through an agreement with the Local Authority, we constructed a steel gantry over Bayley Street of sufficient height to allow emergency vehicles underneath in the event they are required to. This now houses our welfare facilities. This gantry was constructed utilising repurposed steel from a previous temporary structure on another project, further substantiating the project’s green credentials.