City: London

The Serpentine Pavilion is one of the most exciting projects in London’s cultural calendar and one of the top ten most-visited architectural and design exhibitions in the world. Each year, the Serpentine Galleries commissions an international architect to design a temporary pavilion for the gallery grounds.

The pavilion hosts a range of events throughout the summer, including a café and free family activities during the day and a space for the Serpentine’s acclaimed Park Nights programme of performative works by artists, writers and musicians by night.

AECOM has been involved with the project for the past five years, delivering a range of technical advisory services for the exciting programme. The tight timescale for erecting the Serpentine Pavilion always makes the project a particularly rewarding scheme to deliver. From the first spade hitting the ground to completion, the Serpentine Pavilion is typically built and delivered in around six weeks.

The technical advisory team plays an important role in the creative process, working closely with the architects to transform their designs into functional and buildable spaces without losing sight of their original vision.

As the project engineers in 2019 and 2018, AECOM’s role was to seamlessly incorporate the technical solutions that would transform Frida Escobedo’s architectural concept into a built reality for the public to explore and enjoy throughout the summer months.

In 2017, we delivered structural, civil, fire and electrical engineering services for the Pavilion, as well as planning and regulatory support for the architect Diébédo Francis Kéré from Burkina Faso.

In 2016, for the first time, the Serpentine Galleries expanded its annual architectural programme to include four Summer Houses and AECOM delivered full technical and engineering design services for these structures. In 2015, AECOM provided engineering and technical advisory services for Selgascano’s colourful, translucent, chrysalis-like structure. In 2014 the company helped design and deliver Smiljan Radić’s toroidal shell structure and in 2013 it provided engineering and technical design services for Sou Fujimoto’s cloud-like pavilion.

AECOM was commissioned by Network Rail to deliver design options for 12 stations along the Crossrail West line as part of the Governance of Railway Investment Projects (GRIP) – Stage 4 process.

As part of a multi-disciplinary team, the Pedestrian Modelling team used a combination of visual assessments, static analysis and micro-simulation modelling to aide the Design team throughout the process.

Several major stations in London and further afield were appraised; including Ealing Broadway, Southall and Maidenhead.

Passenger flow assessments were carried out on each station to provide input to the detailed design for both normal operations and emergency fire evacuations. Static assessments were carried out for six stations to assess whether or not the layout would be suitable to be taken forward to GRIP Stage 5, with a further six stations taken forward for detailed dynamic modelling using the LEGION modelling suite.

This enabled the impact of physical constraints within the stations to be identified and lead to problems such as:

• Excessive queuing at gatelines
• Congestion at stairs and overbridges, and
• High-density levels in the platform waiting areas.

Suggested mitigation measures were discussed within the Design team and with Network Rail to determine which required design alterations were feasible and could be essentially accommodated by operational measures.

Partners

• CH2M Hill, The Nichols Group

As part of AECOM’s work for the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic games, we undertook Legion pedestrian modelling at this busy metro station to test core demand scenarios and to run sensitivity tests, which successfully informed and shaped critical planning.

Canning Town London Underground and Docklands Light Railway (DLR) station were crucial for connecting public transport routes to and from various venues during London 2012. The volume of passengers interchanging between different metro lines was expected to be high. As a result, the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) appointed AECOM to undertake pedestrian modelling of Canning Town station followed by a range of sensitivity tests, including:

• Constructing and validating a 2008 base year model as a benchmark for demand simulations
• Undertaking pedestrian and walking counts to reinforce qualitative site data
• Developing a London 2012 Olympics model, incorporating forecast demand and service planning, and
• Investigating multiple scenarios including the morning peak for spectator arrivals, the mid-afternoon changeover and the late-night bump-out for spectator departures.

Following analysis of simulations AECOM provided advice on the viability of each scenario with regard to safety, operational efficiency and passenger comfort.

Dynamic simulations were supplemented with ‘static’ spreadsheet-based analyses using relevant established standards, before a series of tests were run to refine the service and operational planning by ODA and partners.

AECOM’s Legion modelling and analysis has successfully informed and shaped the stakeholders’ critical planning for Canning Town station, with implications for other routes and stations affected by the changes.

Clients

• Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA)

The Cycle Superhighways are part of a plan by Transport for London (TfL) and the Mayor to encourage more people to commute by bike and help ease the city’s congestion, relieve overcrowding on public transport and reduce pollution. The provision of twelve cycle-only lanes, clearly marked blue, aim to increase cycling in London by 400 percent by 2025 compared to 2000 levels. Each route is 10–15 kilometers (six miles) long

AECOM is working on the routes between Lewisham in south east London and Victoria and between Kingston Vale in the south west and Westminster. The company is undertaking feasibility, detailed design and supervision work.

The commission includes designing and supervising the implementation of a host of innovative measures to make commuting by bike a more attractive option. TfL will introduce a range of initiatives including training, a bicycle rental program and bicycle parking.

The first pedestrian only footbridge to be built across the Thames this century, the London Millennium Bridge links St. Paul’s Cathedral and the new Tate Gallery of Modern Art.

This ‘ribbon’ suspension bridge comprises heavy piled foundations, caisson foundations to the two pre-cast concrete river piers, structural steel frame, stainless steel architectural metal work, teak decking, glazed balustrading on the abutment steps and ramp, and an ‘inclinator’ lift allowing disabled access.

This major project is a catalyst for more regeneration in an area that will become a new transport hub, and comprises a major mixed-use development occupying 59.5 acres of redundant former goods yards land behind Kings Cross Station in Central London.

The eight million feet squared of construction delivers a major new office development, 2,500 residential units (private, affordable and mixed-tenure), an exciting and innovative retail offer that is mostly contained within existing historic structures, community facilities (such as schools and medical centers), a leisure center and an hotel.

Infrastructure works include remediation of former gas holder sites, major earthworks, relocation of London’s premier gas governor, a new Electricity sub-station, construction of a new internal road network and interfaces with existing public highways, services diversions, major new services installations with substantial off-site reinforcements, new high-quality public realm delivering public squares, private courtyards and upgraded canal tow paths.

This project will act as a catalyst for more regeneration in an area that will become a new transport hub, with vibrant residential communities and a thriving business population.

One of the largest and most significant urban regeneration projects ever undertaken in the UK, the creation of London’s Olympic Park provided a setting for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. It is now being followed by a unique legacy of new communities, improved public transport and a major 110-hectare urban park.

The success of the original 2003 masterplan, which secured London’s appointment for the 2012 Games over rivals Paris, New York and Madrid, was a future-looking framework rooted in the close integration of multiple social, environmental, transport, planning and design issues, into a clear and simple idea: build for a thriving piece of city in 2030+, not just one event in 2012. The power of this idea has resulted in a shift in event-urbanism, with legacy becoming the guiding principle for other global cities, from Rio to Tokyo.

Leading a multidisciplinary team for the masterplan AECOM’s role was extensive including planning, urban design, landscape planning and design, sports and venue design, project and cost management, transportation and planning, civil engineering, sustainability and climate resilience, sporting event security, crowd modelling and planning, market analysis, feasibility and project positioning.

With legacy embedded from the start – the long term, post Games use of the site considered from the beginning (even at bid stage we presented two plans – one for Games and one for legacy) what we now see at the Olympic Park, now Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park (QEOP) is a thriving and growing community. A community which celebrates sports integrating it with the economic, cultural and social development of this important and now incredible part of the city. This includes over 9100 news homes, a retail centre, education facilities and a number of the Olympic venues, including the Velodrome and the Aquatics Centre and Copper Box, retained as assets for the local and wider community.

Our expert team provided cost management, value/risk management, tax advice and specification consultancy services on The Shard at London Bridge, the tallest building in Western Europe.

Designed by renowned architect Renzo Piano, The Shard is a 1,016 feet / 310 meter mixed-use high-rise tower, or more accurately a “vertical city.” Appointed just days before it was called in for a Public Inquiry in 2002, our cost management team assisted the client and its designers from the beginning of the project to its completion, helping to ensure a commercially successful scheme without compromising its architectural and engineering credentials.

The team worked closely with the architect on what at the time was his first and only project in the United Kingdom, quickly gaining his trust and appreciation. The Shard will shortly be joined by The Place (a 430,500-square-feet office development), another Renzo Piano-designed AECOM project, which will sit across a new public piazza and bus station, helping to form the London Bridge Quarter.

The £12.4 million Akerman is a flagship project in Lambeth Primary Care Trust’s overall strategy for improving primary care and enabling shift of resource and services from the acute to primary and community health settings.

The national award-winning health centre was delivered through the UK’s National Health Service Local Improvement Finance Trust initiative (LIFT) with AECOM working with the South London Health Partnership LIFT Co, developer Fulcrum and Lambeth PCT to implement an innovative funding model and achieve financial close as well as providing project management and health and safety services throughout the development period.

Cited as ‘a beacon for its community’, the centre accommodates a range of services including GP clinics, dentistry, children’s services, midwifery, primary care and community health services. It also provides a base for Lambeth’s school nurses, health visitors and district nurses and the council’s adults and community services team.

The renamed East London Railway was part of Transport for London’s Five Year Investment Program, the East London Line is being extended in two phases and AECOM became involved in 2010 with the Program Cost Consultancy experts delivering cost management services for this project. As lead designer with the Balfour Beatty/Carillion Joint Venture, AECOM produced the detailed construction design for new stations, buildings, civils and structure works including architecture, landscaping, geotechnics, electrical and mechanical services.

The project extends the line in both north and south directions to connect it with existing rail services. It played a major role in transporting people to and from the 2012 London Olympic & Paralympic Games, providing a stimulus for regeneration initiatives throughout many of London’s boroughs

With a global audience of around 241 million, the BBC is the world’s largest and most renowned broadcaster. The iconic home of British radio, Broadcasting House, has long been the jewel in its crown. But ten years ago, the BBC recognised that it needed a headquarters more fit for the digital age.

AECOM was commissioned to lead the business services design, and the project has positioned us as a world leader in media design. It has involved refurbishing the original 1932 Grade II* listed Broadcasting House, and building a high-tech, 13-floor extension. Recently completed, the centre was opened by Her Majesty The Queen.

At the centre is the BBC’s news hub – a vast, day lit column-free space, and one of the world’s largest live newsrooms. A number of spaces will be open to the public including a gallery, the central piazza and a glass-walled walkway with views into the newsroom.

Broadcasting House’s advanced new tri-media facilities include one flexible and six fixed-rig TV studios, as well as 16 radio studios, countless edit rooms and transmission suites. Space-saving design has been essential.

Transforming Broadcasting House from heritage to high-definition is a demanding task. Staying on air is naturally of paramount importance: no failure of any building service system can interrupt broadcasting. The complex mechanical, electrical and control systems need to be highly resilient, as does the acoustic design.

The site’s close proximity to London Underground’s Bakerloo and Victoria tube lines and its cramped, urban location demanded innovative engineering solutions.

The redesign will save the BBC £736m over a 20-year period. This is the first broadcasting development to achieve a BREEAM rating of Excellent and our experience is already informing industry-wide guidance.