Set to be the new headquarters for consumer goods company Unilever, the Eden Campus project consists of a nine-storey office building, a multi-storey car park and a 22-storey residential tower, within a high quality green urban setting.

GEA was initially commissioned to undertake a detailed desk study of the site, which included establishing the potential for relic buried structures associated with the former use of the site as a brewery, identifying the former channel of the diverted Hogsmill River and determining the risk of contamination being present below the site. This allowed an investigation strategy to be developed, in addition to undertaking a preliminary basement impact assessment, to allow the feasibility and suitability of basement levels forming part of the proposed development.

Following the desk study, an intrusive investigation was undertaken, comprising a number of deep boreholes supplemented by shallow sampling, whilst the site remained in use by multiple tenants. The initial phase of investigation identified the presence of asbestos and hydrocarbon contamination, such that a second phase of targeted investigation was undertaken following demolition of the existing buildings.

In order to deal with the contamination encountered, and to assist in discharge of relevant planning conditions, GEA provided an ongoing geoenvironmental consultancy service to the main contractor, whilst also providing geotechnical advice to the structural engineers and wider design team, in reviewing tender returns and preliminary pile designs from prospective piling contractors.

With a carbon net zero operations target there will be an emphasis on adopting biodiversity as one of London’s lost rivers, the Hogsmill, will be restored with natural banks and local species.