Westminster Bridge Road, London Borough of Lambeth

The Challenge

We were instructed by Urbanest to deliver an education and student housing led development on a long-term vacant but prominent site in Waterloo. The site, formerly known as York House, was designated employment land with several planning permissions for major office redevelopment, but had several constraints in relation to strategic views, traffic and permeability in particular, noting its position on a busy central London roundabout.

The Solution

With no potential for a pre-let office scheme, we led discussions with Lambeth Council to bring forward an alternative student housing use for the site. Working with leading architects AHMM, a visually interesting and iconic building was conceived, which successfully sits against the backdrop of the Westminster World Heritage Site in a considered way, contributing significantly to the skyline and public realm of the area.

The Results

The design of the scheme received support from Lambeth, the GLA, CABE, and the local community and we continued to advise Urbanest on scheme amendments, and discharge of conditions and planning obligations through the build stage. The development is now fully operational, providing over 1,000 student bed-spaces, a campus for DLD College London, and ongoing provision of affordable workspace, including Build Studios – a co-working space specifically for the built environment sector.