MEP engineering consultancy Wallace Whittle has completed its 15-year engineering role at Elephant Park in central London. The firm supported delivery of more than 3,000 homes across seven major phases alongside developer Lendlease.

Part of the masterplan team since 2011 alongside Lendlease and MAKE Architects, Wallace Whittle has provided MEP engineering across seven major phases and various sub-phases at Elephant Park. Notable phases include Trafalgar Place, which earned a Stirling Prize nomination, and One The Elephant, a 37-storey tower that redefined the local skyline.

As building regulations, sustainability and fire safety standards shifted over the project's lifespan, Wallace Whittle's engineering strategy adapted while maintaining a consistent framework across budgets ranging from £90 million to £150 million per phase. The team applied Modern Methods of Construction and worked to reduce thermal distribution losses across the site's energy network.

Early phases included exemplar townhouses built to Passivhaus standards, while the site's energy infrastructure is anchored by a multi-award-winning, net zero carbon-capable energy centre. The final residential phase, The Wilderly, comprises a 25-storey tower and mid-rise block delivering 259 units, developed by Lendlease in joint venture with Daiwa House and constructed by Bovis.

Craig Robertson, business development director for England at Wallace Whittle, said: "It is incredibly rare for a building services and sustainability consultancy to remain consistently embedded on a single mega-project for 15 years." Robertson added: "We set an incredibly high benchmark early on, ensuring the infrastructure could adapt to changing regulations and continue delivering long-term value to the people of Southwark."

Robertson said: "During those initial masterplan meetings in 2011, Lendlease's vision was always about placemaking, creating a real community to live in, not just build houses. Looking at it today, with its own London bus route and vibrant public spaces, we have jointly achieved that."

Nick Watson, project lead at Elephant Park, Lendlease, said: "Completion of The Wilderly marks a significant milestone for Elephant Park, with the final collection of homes now delivered." Watson added the neighbourhood was delivered "through several market cycles, reflecting the strength of our long-term partnership with the London Borough of Southwark."

The structural driver is the engineering challenge of maintaining a single, consistent MEP framework across a 15-year, multi-phase regeneration spanning shifting regulations and construction methods. For the sector, Wallace Whittle is applying engineering lessons from Elephant Park to its next generation of major London developments.

Source: allthingsbusiness.co.uk / southlondonnews.co.uk