Blog: SECBE Awards 2022 finalist - Denmark Hill Station Enhancements

27 April 2022

Project of the Year under £10m sponsored by Hill Dickinson

Denmark Hill Station Enhancements (submitted by INVVU Construction Consultants)

Building Project of the Year under £10m SECBE Award 2022 finalist

In September 2021, the new Denmark Hill Station Entrance was officially opened, and major station enhancements were revealed.  A job which historically should have taken around five years from initial concept to completion, was condensed into 30 months, all against the backdrop of a global pandemic.

Denmark Hill Station is one of the busiest suburban stations in London, with over seven million passengers using the station each year. Sustained daily usage and significant footfall at peak periods (which is expected to grow exponentially over the next 20 years), meant the station was in need of upgrading. Prior to the upgrades, congestion when entering and exiting the station was a real issue, with passengers taking up to 10 minutes to leave the station. 

INVVU Construction Consultants, were commissioned by Network Rail and Govia Thameslink Railway to design a new entrance to the station and upgrade existing facilities from GRIP 1 – 6, and provide support for the build process GRIP 7 – 8.

INVVU’s enhancement designs included:

• A second entrance to the station to increase capacity and make entering and exiting much easier.
• New ticket gateline.
• New and extended canopies on the platforms to encourage passengers to move further down the station in adverse weather, making boarding/alighting the trains much easier and efficient.
• Decluttering the platforms – to open up passenger spaces.
• New PA systems.
• New customer information screens.
• Free to use 85 space secure cycle storage facility – partly funded by Kings College Hospital to improve the health and well-being of those using the station – staff, patients, visitors etc.
• Additional seating

These enhancements were designed incorporating the use of sustainable and innovative techniques/products, with the ultimate goal of delivering a station that was future proof, accessible for all and environmentally secure which provides a user-friendly and safe environment for passengers. 

Denmark Hill Station is ‘the first carbon positive station in Europe’. The installation of Photovoltaic (PV) panels on the station and canopy roofs, generate more than enough energy to power the station, with all surplus energy returned to the National Grid; adding to the Stations green credentials.

The project was delivered in record time due to the urgent need for the station enhancements; the safety of those using and working in the station.

Strong relationships developed with clients, collaborators, stakeholders, regulatory bodies and the local community before, during and after the completion of the project, helped facilitate the success of the project in terms of time, budget and quality. Creating and maintaining open and effective channels of communication throughout the project is, without doubt, one of the key contributors to the success of the project, and a true demonstration of best practice.     

The importance of this project to Kings College Hospital and the Maudsley Hospital, adjacent to Denmark Hill Station, to provide a much needed improved and efficient service for hospital staff, patients and visitors could not be underestimated, and liaison with both hospitals was key throughout the project. This development was also of huge importance to the local community, who were involved from the beginning and as part of the project, a local art competition was run and from over 50 artists, one local artist was commissioned to complete community artwork at the new facility. Branding trends from local community societies, quotes, and poems are dotted around the station which gives the whole project a community feel.

The Denmark Hill Station enhancement project has received numerous award nominations, receiving ‘Highly Commended’ in the ‘Sustainable Business’ and ‘Infrastructure Achievement of the Year’ categories at the National Rail Awards, and in the Environment and Sustainability category at the Railway Innovation Awards. INVVU also won in the category of ‘Most Sustainable Project of the Year’ at the Structural Engineering Awards 2021.

INVVU, a small SME, but growing multi-disciplinary consultancy was awarded this large and high priority building & infrastructure project and exceeded all expectations along with the appointed delivery team. Going above and beyond and challenging the norm of current procurement/delivery routes and design/construction approach. Organisations have certainly stood up and taken notice of how and why the project was such a success, delivered in record time and on budget. A small SME from Kent has achieved this and we hope will change, in small, part the industry forever.

Key achievements:

• Designing the ‘first carbon positive station in Europe’. 

• Delivering the design and build of a carbon positive station, fit for purpose and future proof, on time, on budget and of the highest quality, during a global pandemic.

• The creation and development of strong, positive client/collaborator relationships which have resulted in the successful delivery of a multi-million-pound project, and the commissioning of further work from the client.

Client: Network Rail

Project Partners: INVVU Construction Consultants, GTR Govia Thameslink, BAM Nuttall Ltd

Find out who wins at the Constructing Excellence SECBE Awards 2022 Ceremony on Thurs 30th June 2022.

Find out more about INVVU Construction Consultants

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About the Building Project of the Year over £10m Award (sponsored by  Hill Dickinson):  

Project of the Year delivers outstanding outcomes for all those involved in a construction project.  It showcases the benefits achieved through the application of many of the principles described in the other award categories. More info.

>> Find out more about the other Constructing Excellence SECBE Awards finalists here