The regeneration of the existing housing estate in Oakwood, North London, will provide over 490 new homes for rent and private sale, with a new energy centre, nursery and community centre. The development will be constructed in three phases; Phase 1 (127 units), Phase 2 (144 units) and Phase 3 (219 units).

There are 9 reinforced concrete framed buildings varying in height from 4 to 8 storeys and traditional buildings consisting of houses, apartments and duplex apartments. The site is bounded on all sites by adjacent residential properties. The new development ties into existing ground levels that vary three stories in height across the site.

CTP have provided civil engineering and structural engineering services for the whole life of the project from the initial masterplan through to construction, including a successful application to increase unit numbers, prior to commencing detailed design of Phase 2.

The existing housing estate consisted of aging apartment buildings built at the bottom of a valley over a culverted stream. The existing site was potentially at risk from overland surface water flooding. The site and adjacent catchment area were modelled to predict  the extent and depth of surface water flooding, taking into consideration climate change.

The culverts were redesigned and re-routed to provide enhanced capacity and the topography of the site was adjusted to reduce the risk of flooding for the redevelopment and neighbouring properties.

The redevelopment utilises sustainable drainage systems (SUD’s) features to reduce surface water flooding that include; a recessed ecology garden and utility space designed to store surface water, swales, rainwater gardens and attenuation systems.

Ground floor levels were raised above the flood level, taking into consideration climate change. A safe means of access is maintained for pedestrians in an extreme flood event supported with a flood warning system activated by a float switch located inside the culverted sewer.