Taxi House, London

A new build development on a canal side site in Westminster, situated near the former London Taxi Drivers’ Association headquarters.

Steeped in history, Taxi House is the transformation of the former London Taxi Drivers’ Association headquarters on Woodfield Road, Westminster into a new waterside destination on the Grand Union Canal.

The project comprises of a mixed-used development on this canal side site, delivering 332 modern serviced accommodation rooms, commercial and retail space – which is also set to be utilised by community groups creating a new public realm.

Premcrete were instructed to help with the project and to overcome initial challenges surrounding the proposed work. The main challenge was that the client and groundworker were averse to wrapping pile caps, as terminating a membrane at the edge of the pile caps often lacks adequate horizontal concrete surface for effective termination. In this regard, it is not uncommon for structural engineers to design the distance from the edge of the rebar to the edge of the pile cap at only 30-50mm, making the termination detail more intricate and challenging.

The Solution

As an alternative to wrapping, Premcrete provided a solid solution using Hydroprufe LG – as well as addressing the termination strip issue. This was completed by advising the groundworker to ‘overcast’ the pile caps, creating a 150mm space from the edge of the rebar to the edge of the pile cap. This approach was found to significantly improve installation efficiency and ease, resulting in a smoother overall process and a very happy client!

Taxi House is set to complete in the Spring of 2025 and has a contract value of £52.5m.