About the Project

Shoreditch Village phase 2, London E1

On a site that devoted nearly its entire footprint to superstructure, Andrew Hill combined an ability to think outside the box with technical and resequencing expertise. 

After losing 20 weeks to an archaeological investigation of a former medieval priory, Andrew regained the programme through innovation.  

He overlapped the basement construction with the steel-frame erection. Bringing in a mobile crane allowed the steel to go up while the tower crane progressed the basement.  

Andrew sped up the frame construction by introducing a high early-strength concrete for the composite floors. His close coordination of the steelwork, decking and concrete kept the momentum high. 

Even before the superstructure went up, Andrew had revised the groundworks to accommodate a gas main and three-metre-diameter sewer found on the site. He used a reduced-height rig that could fit inside an existing structure with a retained facade to create pockets for plunge piles. 

And with a neighbouring live railway viaduct posing repeated risks to the programme, Andrew found the way through. His introduction of temporary works to bring in bigger MEWPs allowed work on the upper floors to continue without obstructing train drivers’ line of sight to signals. His reduction in the weight of two huge plate girders by creating stub connections from the columns was also key in craning them in.