Projects
Permanent staff facilities engineered around a new operational rail depot.
A permanent modular staff facility engineered around the needs of a live London Underground depot.
Solution: Permanent Buildings
Sector: Infrastructure
Application: Welfare and Site Accommodation | Office & Workplace
Project Overview
Client:
London Underground
Location:
Northfields, London
Sector:
Infrastructure
Solution:
Permanent Buildings
Application:
Welfare & Site Accommodation | Office & Workplace
Programme:
32 weeks
Building size:
966m²
Contract:
JCT Design & Build
Setup:
48 volumetric modules
Scope:
Design and build of permanent train driver and maintenance depot staff accommodation Northfields Depot Drivers
Requirement
Rail infrastructure | Staff accommodation | Live depot | Permanent modular building | Complex logistics
At Northfields Train Maintenance Depot, London Underground needed a permanent new amenities building capable of supporting train drivers, maintenance teams and depot staff within a busy operational rail environment.
Thurston was appointed under a JCT Design & Build contract to deliver Charles Holden House, a 966m² building formed from 48 volumetric modules. The facility provides computer, training and meeting rooms alongside changing, shower and welfare accommodation for operational staff.
But the building itself was only part of the challenge. Restricted depot access, ongoing pedestrian movements and the need to keep operations running meant design, manufacture, logistics and installation had to work as one coordinated programme.
The Challenge
A staff building within a working rail depot has to fit around the operation it serves.
Northfields required new accommodation for train drivers and maintenance support teams, bringing together workplace, training and welfare functions within one permanent facility.
The building needed to provide computer, training and meeting rooms alongside male and female changing, shower and toilet facilities and other operational spaces.
Site access added another layer of complexity. The depot entrance road was narrow and needed to remain open to pedestrian traffic during installation. Delivering 48 large volumetric modules through that constrained route therefore required careful sequencing and close coordination with station management and depot personnel.
The challenge was not simply to manufacture a building. It was to make the whole delivery process work around an operational London Underground environment.
The solution
Thurston developed Charles Holden House as a permanent modular amenities building designed around the day-to-day requirements of depot staff.
Regular design meetings were held with the client and relevant TfL stakeholders to ensure end-user requirements were incorporated into the finished building.
The completed specification included:
- computer, training and meeting facilities
- changing rooms, showers and WCs
- HVAC
- passenger lifts
- access and egress canopies
- brise soleil
- roof access and Mansafe systems
- 42 roof-mounted solar PV panels
- an EPC A rating.
A bespoke coloured Trespa rainscreen system gave the finished building a distinctive contemporary appearance, moving the project well beyond the visual language of temporary depot accommodation.
Logistics engineered around a live depot
Getting the building to Northfields required as much planning as manufacturing it. The modules were produced at Thurston's Wakefield facility and transported south by road. Rather than sending delivery vehicles directly to the constrained depot entrance, modules were held at a location close to the M25 and released to site in a controlled sequence.
This staggered approach reduced congestion around the depot and helped minimise disruption while installation progressed.
Close consultation with station management and maintenance-depot staff continued throughout the installation, while Thurston operatives were required to complete the relevant LUCAS training before working within the London Underground environment.
Once the volumetric structure was in place, internal fit-out and external cladding works could progress concurrently, helping maintain programme momentum.
The result
Charles Holden House provided Northfields TMD with a substantial permanent staff facility supporting train drivers, maintenance personnel and wider depot operations.
The 966m² building combines workplace, training and welfare functions within one integrated environment while providing the durability and building performance expected from long-term rail infrastructure.
The project was managed against a defined 32-week programme, with subcontractor activity closely coordinated and variations managed transparently against the client's budget and completion requirements.
It demonstrates a core strength of permanent modular construction in infrastructure environments: the ability to manufacture a high-quality building efficiently while engineering the delivery strategy around the operation that cannot stop.
What this demonstrates
Permanent rail staff accommodation
A 966m² building designed around the workplace and welfare needs of London Underground drivers and depot teams.
Complex live-site logistics
Forty-eight volumetric modules were delivered through a constrained depot entrance while maintaining operational access.
End-user-led design
Regular engagement with TfL and depot stakeholders ensured practical staff requirements were incorporated into the finished facility.
Integrated workplace and welfare space
Training, meeting, computer, changing, shower and welfare facilities were brought together within one permanent building.
High-performance specification
An EPC A rating, rooftop solar PV, HVAC and passenger lifts were incorporated into the building design.
Programme control
Factory manufacture, transport, installation, subcontractor activity and fit-out were coordinated against a defined project programme.
Designed to belong
Bespoke Trespa rainscreen cladding gave the finished building a contemporary permanent appearance appropriate to its rail setting.
Built on experience
The project demonstrates Thurston's ability to combine permanent modular manufacture with the practical logistics and compliance requirements of a major operational rail environment.
Discuss your next project with Thurston
Tell us about your operational needs, site requirements and delivery challenges. Our team will help you develop a modular building solution designed around your project.
