The redevelopment of Elizabeth House has been long overdue with various proposals having come forward over two decades, none of which have been delivered. In 2017 HB Reavis purchased the site and took on the challenge to transform the Waterloo area through the redevelopment of one of London's most strategically important and complex development sites.

Located between the UK’s busiest railway station and Europe’s largest cultural quarter on the South Bank, proposals for the site include an office led development of c.1.3 million sq.ft. The proposals create a destination at the lower levels, while providing much needed permeability through to Waterloo station through the creation of exceptional quality public realm.  

The site came with a multitude of challenges and constraints in the form of:

• A long and arduous planning history
• Challenging site constraints, including four London Underground lines below the site
• Close proximity to the UK’s busiest railway station
• Visibility in views from a UNESCO world heritage site (the Palace of Westminster)
• Numerous complex stakeholders to work with
• Numerous third-party agreements required

Despite these challenges, the proposals achieved unanimous approval at Lambeth’s planning committee in October 2019. All of this was achieved in record time, bearing in the complexity of the site and its constraints.

The approved scheme also includes affordable workspace incorporated within the main building, as part of an ecosystem of workspaces. As Lambeth’s affordable workspace policy was in draft form when the scheme was being developed, the strategy at Elizabeth House influenced the policy and has helped shape its final form.  The approach has since become a template for future commercial projects in the borough.

As the project moves into delivery, the scheme is now all set to transform the London office market and become a landmark building for the capital.  

Kiran oversaw the project as Development Director while at HB Reavis, from acquisition through to planning approval.