Shared Service Basement, King’s Cross Central, London

Site-wide services built underground

King’s Cross Central, the 67 acre site being developed by Argent, will provide 50 new buildings, 2,000 new homes, 20 new streets, and 10 new public squares. This ambitious regeneration project requires extensive site-wide services to provide everything from pipework carrying utilities, to public internet access.

BAM’s services engineering division worked closely with the different contractors, architects and structural engineers to design and coordinate the complex services installation in the site-wide basement service yard.

Project details

  • Customer: Argent Group plc
  • M&E Services Engineer: BAM Services Engineering
  • Value: £17 million
  • Completion: December 2013
  • Buildings fed into: One Pancras Square, Two Pancras Square, Seven Pancras Square, Pancras Square public realm


View related projects

7 Fact icon buildings serviced by the basement yard
99% Fact icon developments heat demand met from on-site Energy Centre
1750m2 Fact icon service yard
90m Fact icon long tunnel linking One Pancras Square to the London Underground
We also built the new tunnel linking One Pancras Square to the London Underground and connected services to new public squares.

 

BAM experts in one big room

While BAM’s design and construction team worked on the design detail of One, Two and Seven Pancras Square, BAM’s services engineering division was sitting alongside them, designing the services for these and the underground network connecting them. This enabled greater collaboration as all services of each building were integrated from day one into the masterplan.


Using BIM to install right first time

We also used building information modelling (BIM), a 3D model which integrates architectural, structural and services design information, to enable better collaboration.

Buildability was tested in the model to better coordinate designs, detect services clashes in the model and then install the complex services infrastructure right first time.

A sustainable services solution

Our services design is future proof and adaptable. We had to plug in the services for the new Pancras Square buildings into the site-wide network of pipes, cables and fibre optics already laid at King’s Cross.

The basement also contains a combined heat and power plant, which provides heating and hot water for the whole development.  To ensure we made the right connections, we liaised carefully with other services contractors and design teams.

The basement services solution means the site will not need to be dug up for future maintenance or expansion of services, and it also integrates with shared access routes for deliveries, waste and recycling. We also provided a life safety generator and sprinkler tank room for the adjoining plots and new landscaped public realm.