Natural History Museum Urban Nature Project

The development includes a new garden café building and learning and activity centre alongside a five-acre garden development programme across the East and West Gardens. The scope comprised significant groundworks, substructure and landscaping packages in close proximity to the Grade I listed structure of the museum. The works were delivered with the museum in operation, necessitating protection and sensitivity to staff, the visiting public, traffic and wildlife.

Encompassing fossils, plants and a geological timeline wall, this area will allow visitors to walk through time to witness the evolution of life on Earth. We delivered works to ensure accessible routes for all, including excavation and construction of new access from South Kensington station pedestrian tunnel, necessitating early-stage TfL engagement, as well as a new ramp from the garden to the museum entrance level. To ensure protection of pedestrians, we removed the original ramp via controlled demolition. Excavations and foundation works were also delivered in readiness for the new single-storey garden café building, built with a reinforced concrete slab and using recycled materials.

The upgraded west lawn and wildlife garden area will encourage visitors to connect with nature whilst thinking about the future of our planet. Here, our team carefully carried out re-landscaping works, constructing new walkways and redeveloping the existing wildlife garden and Darwin Courtyard, as well as a 20% extension to the existing pond with new sunken paths and a footbridge.

In parallel, excavation and foundation works were delivered for the new single storey learning and activity centre, with a reinforced concrete slab and using recycled materials.

With over 3,000 species of flora and fauna identified at the site, protecting biodiversity was a key priority for the NHM and central to our work. Moss-covered boulders contributed significantly to the site’s ecology, and we carefully documented each boulder’s orientation and coordinates before removal and storage. Each boulder was placed on a pallet with a laminated photo of the boulder reference number, orientation and coordinates, allowing accurate repositioning after completion of the works.

To protect amphibians, we kept vegetation and waste materials separate, reducing the risk of harm. Shrubbery removed during works was chipped and reused on-site as mulch to protect tree roots, minimising overall waste.

Tree Preservation Orders protect the London Plane trees along three site boundaries. We worked closely with the museum’s arboriculturist to implement careful mitigation strategies. For example, instead of using concrete foundations in root protection areas, we used screw piles to avoid destabilising the trees or causing any damage to root systems. Where digging was necessary, we used manual techniques and vacuum excavators to expose roots gently. Exposed roots were then wrapped in damp hessian and perforated plastic pipe to maintain moisture and aeration. Where incorporation into a subbase was necessary, we placed additional protection around the root before the aggregate was installed.

A number of value engineering proposals were delivered on the project to generate cost and sustainable efficiencies. These include resin bonded footpaths as opposed to exposed aggregates, alternative details to feature benches and modifications to steps.

Working adjacent to the busy South Kensington tube station, approvals from TfL were an early-stage necessity. The team ensured the proactive provision of all technical information in order to facilitate timely sign-off from TfL. This included a basic removal sequence for the timely, but safe, subway step demolition and removal. On site, the team set up remote satellite offices on the East and West Gardens to enable faster movement, resulting in the more efficient delivery of each section.

Delivering a project that removes more carbon than it emits was a priority for the NHM, so it was essential that our team and subcontractors operated petroland diesel-free. All site plant was battery-powered, electric, or ran on HVO fuel.

We used a range of electric plant, including a 36m electric concrete pump for paving and the café slab, electric excavators and dumpers, and a Brokk 90 demolition machine for the TfL subway top landing.

To reduce waste, 50mm shutters controlled the blinding width for the café base, avoiding concrete overuse. An Eco-Pan system captured waste from concrete pours, eliminating the need for an on-site washout area. Any excess concrete from elsewhere on site was repurposed into spacers for the café slab. All concrete mixes replaced 50% of cement with ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS) to lower carbon impact.

We ensured no construction waste went to landfill. Topsoil was retained and reused for soft landscaping. Timber from the demolished pond bridge formed sunken path formwork and was later recycled. Sleepers from the shed building supported welfare cabins.