Shafts & Headhouses
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About Us WW+P is a world-leading architecture and planning practice. Founded in 1985, the practice has more than 400 architects, urban designers and planners across 12 studios worldwide. WW+P integrates planning, urban design, landscape and architecture to deliver projects that unite visionary regenerative design thinking with technical excellence. At the heart of our work is a clear and purposeful design approach: we listen first, think sustainably, create a clear vision and deliver a crafted response. Our approach is guided by core values that define who we are and how we work: we are people-focused, placing people at the heart of everything we do; we are inventive, finding elegant, forward-thinking solutions to complex challenges; and we are responsible, designing with care for social and environmental impact. Our work spans scales and disciplines to build better cities, smarter infrastructure, and more inclusive communities – leading the next chapter in regenerative thinking.
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Placing people at the heart of everything we do.
Clear thinking and a rigorous conceptual approach.
Environmentally and socially aware.
The everyday human experience is the starting point for our design. Whether designing for users, passengers, residents, or passers-by, we make buildings and spaces to enrich people’s lives.
Strong design concepts are the foundation of good design. Born out of experience, innovation, and a deep appreciation of the character of place, we deliver highvalue, sustainable solutions to inspire and delight.
We are careful to work with responsible clients and project partners and prioritise projects with the greatest benefits to people’s lives.
Great design is produced by great people. We aspire to provide a supportive and fulfilling working environment to nurture the talent of our global professional team.
Craft is fundamental to our work, whether expressed through elegant details or through physical modelmaking which is an integral part of our design process.
Teamwork, collaboration, and empathy are inherent in good design. Recognising when to support, and when to lead, we bring rigour, responsibility and humility to each project.
We embrace construction challenges to generate elegant, durable structures and spaces that are simple to build and easy to maintain.
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We create buildings, spaces and infrastructure that will have a long-lasting impact. Focussing on the human experience ensures that we create healthy places that lift the spirits and are sustainable for future generations. Our ethics inform our behaviours, how we support our staff, and relate to the world around us. They are the foundation to an approach that always strives to make a positive difference.
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Approach
Listen First
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Create a Clear Vision
Deliver a Crafted Response
We listen carefully to understand the problem before attempting to solve it.
We establish key sustainable principles upfront that underpin our design decisions.
We create unique, compelling narratives that focus on the user experience.
We interrogate the unique challenges of every project to discover the optimum solution.
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Portfolio | Shafts and Headhouses
Portfolio Shafts & Headhouses
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Portfolio | Shafts and Headhouses
Introduction WW+P has a passion for infrastructure design and an unparalleled expertise in delivering ventilation and intervention shafts and headhouses for transport systems. .
We design to a best value model using standardised details where possible but ensuring a high quality appearance with low maintenance is achieved.
We understand that these are technically driven buildings but the design approach to the context is of critical importance to achieve successful consultation and consent approvals.
We work collaboratively with engineering teams, specialist designers and contractors to sure our design leadership and experience de-risks delivery and adds real value.
Paddington Elizabeth Line station showing ventilation and escape shafts
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Portfolio | Shafts and Headhouses
Euston Vent Shaft
Location London, United Kingdom
Status Complete
Client HS2
Project value Confidential
Sector Infrastructure
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Euston Vent Shaft
01 The innovative cladding design respond to the technical requirements of the shaft as well as adding interest 02 The complex technical requirements are incorporate into the structure
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Portfolio | Shafts and Headhouses
Euston Vent Shaft
The Euston Station vent shaft will house a substation for London Underground and UK Power Networks as well as a vent shaft for the Northern Line Underground. The innovative cladding design respond to the technical requirements of the shaft, and its position in an existing and pert emerging townscape. The design blends London Underground heritage with contemporary elegance, using over 13,000 glazed terracotta tiles that reflect light and bring a human scale to the urban landscape. Featuring a sustainable, low-carbon kit-of-parts approach, the perforated façade optimises natural ventilation while adding visual interest and breathability to the structure.
The building facade creates a point of interest in the urban street context
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Portfolio | Shafts and Headhouses
Victoria Station Shafts
Location London, United Kingdom
Status Built
Client Transport for London
Project value £700 million
Sector Transport, Infrastructure
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Portfolio | Shafts and Headhouses
Victoria Station Shafts
Public stairs, back of house stairs and the air intake and outlet vents are integrated into a single architectural object to reduce cluter at street level
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Portfolio | Shafts and Headhouses
Victoria Station Shafts
While the majority of work in upgrading Victoria station was underground, considerable attention was given to how the shafts on the surface interface with the complex urban fabric in the heart of central London. The focus was on minimising visual clutter and maximising the development potential of valuable urban land. In lieu of existing independent structures, we integrated public stairs, back of house stairs and the air intake and outlet vents into a single architectural object. As a result clutter is reduced, the urban realm of this public space is improved and sightlines to the existing station building are opened up.
The station entrance and shaft structures improve the public realm
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Portfolio | Shafts and Headhouses
HS2 Shafts, Headhouses & Portal
Location Midlands, United Kingdom
Status Ongoing
Client HS2
Project value Confidential
Sector Transport, Infrastructure
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Portfolio | Shafts and Headhouses
HS2 Shafts, Headhouses & Portal
01 Burton Green portal plan 02 Cross-section of Burton Green portal showing connections to the underground infrastructure
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Portfolio | Shafts and Headhouses
HS2 Shafts, Headhouses & Portal
01 Burton Green Portal building with timber louvers providing ventilation 02 Long Itchington Wood Portal buikding featurning facade with wave design
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Portfolio | Shafts and Headhouses
HS2 Shafts, Headhouses & Portal The design required for HS2 to function is not limited to the flagship stations. Tunnels require shafts to the surface to allow intervention, evacuation, acceptable aerodynamic performance, thermal comfort and emergency ventilation. They also require portals where they enter or emerge from the ground. Because of the design speeds of the trains, the portals have aerodynamic performance requirements. These technical constraints and requirements have to be balanced against the street level contextual design constraints of the emerging shaft or portal and its headhouse. A particular challenge is the design of a headhouse in an area of relatively dense urban residential grain to allow 106sq.m of free area for ventilation. This is the equivalent of 212sq.m of louvred facade or the elevation of 7 two-storey terraced houses. Within the shafts and portals themselves our experience of human scale spatial manipulation optimises the disposition of the vast technical kit to give maintenance and emergency access around it.
Bromford Tunnel East Portal
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Portfolio | Shafts and Headhouses
Alexandra Place Shaft & Headhouse
Location London, United Kingdom
Status Complete
Client HS2 Ltd
Project value Confidential
Sector Infrastructure, Transit Oriented Development
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Portfolio | Shafts and Headhouses
Alexandra Place Shaft & Headhouse The design for the Alexandra Place ventilation shaft and headhouse structure included allowance of an Over-Site Development (OSD). As construction of the ventilation shaft required the demolition of a building containing commercial and residential premises within a conservation area, our design required careful consideration, and integration into the urban landscape. We developed a range of mixed use OSD design proposals that retained the technical ventilation and evacuation functionality of the shaft, alongside an OSD that replaced the lost commercial and residential properties.
01 Aerial view from Alexandra Road of the shaft and over-site development 02 Development sketch of the proposed shaft scheme 03 Over-site development proposals replacing loss local facilities
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Portfolio | Shafts and Headhouses
Elizabeth Line Intermediate Shafts
Location London, United Kingdom
Status Built
Client Crossrail
Project value £65 million
Sector Transport, Infrastructure
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Portfolio | Shafts and Headhouses
Elizabeth Line Intermediate Shafts The shafts and headhouses for the Elizabeth line were large complex structures inserted into different urban contexts that needed to deliver on critical performance obligations while meeting appearance and environmental impact criteria. The project was further complicated by a large number of separate Elizabeth line contracts running concurrently, that had differing objectives and delivery programmes but critical operational interfaces, for instance doors or builders work openingss. Embracing the full power of BIM techniques, for both design and collaboration proved invaluable, allowing us to streamline the review and approval process. We used BIM to facilitate value engineering allowing alternative proposals to be implemented.
BIM was used to map the complexities of the shaft structures
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Portfolio | Shafts and Headhouses
Elizabeth Line Intermediate Shafts
01 The completes Mile End Shaft structure incorporates landscape proposals that over time will integrated the structure more into its context 02 BIM diagram sets out the underground and above ground requirements
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Portfolio | Shafts and Headhouses
Paddington Elizabeth Line Station Shafts
Location London, United Kingdom
Status Built
Client Crossrail
Project value £125 million
Sector Transport, Infrastructure
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Awards RIBA National Award - Paddington Elizabeth Line Station - Winner Prix Versailles - Passenger Stations - Prix Versailles Winner World Architecture Festival - Best Completed Building: Transport - Winner
Portfolio | Shafts and Headhouses
Paddington Elizabeth Line Station Shafts The design of the tunnel ventilation fan arrangement was a key component of the new Elizabeth line station at Paddington. All central Elizabeth line stations incorporate this ventilation though they are generally hidden within the station or replacement buildings. At Paddington, locating the station within Eastbourne Terrace minimised demolition of any listed structures but meant that the ventilation structures were visible. The vent structures incorporate many of the architectural principles of the canopy and the other new structures, they share the 10ft / 20ft module of the canopy. The structural frame is painted steel to match the colour and detailing of the canopy columns on Eastbourne Terrace. The ‘floating’ roof has a visible soffit and this is detailed in a similar manner to the solid elements of the canopy roof with flat metal paneling.
01 Tunnel ventilation shaft for the Elizabeth line with a distinct design 02 Floating roof referencing the design of the station canopy behind
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Portfolio | Shafts and Headhouses
Thames Tideway
Location London, United Kingdom
Status Built
Client Thames Tideway Limited
Project value £65 million
Sector Infrastructure
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Portfolio | Shafts and Headhouses
Thames Tideway
01 At King Edward Memorial park new space was created into the river as part of the Tideway development 02 The vent structures form large bronze public artwork, concealing their technical purpose
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Portfolio | Shafts and Headhouses
Thames Tideway
Tideway’s transformation of London’s historic sewer system is more than infrastructure – it’s a rare opportunity to reshape the riverside into vibrant public spaces that celebrate heritage, ecology, and community. At five key East London sites, our designs blend technical precision with landscape-led placemaking, turning essential engineering into biodiverse parks, public art landmarks, and welcoming spaces that reconnect people with the Thames. As well as the permanent structures above and below-ground our designs accommodated complex operational and maintenance regimes that necessitate over fifty access hatches in the groundplane and space for vehicles to manoeuvre. Design development required close coordination with a wide range of engineering disciplines to incorporate these requirements seamlessly.
The above ground structure incorporates artwork to create a public art landmark
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Portfolio | Shafts and Headhouses
Woolwich Arsenal DLR Station
Location London, United Kingdom
Status Built
Client Transport for London
Project value £12 million
Sector Transport, Infrastructure
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Portfolio | Shafts and Headhouses
Woolwich Arsenal DLR Station The new DLR station at Woolwich is positioned in a deep cut and cover box with the DLR platform level underneath an intermediate level concourse which links to the existing Network Rail Station. The placement of the required vent shafts were challenging given then sensitive surrounding environment and the proximity to the river. The considered design gave way to a very aesthetically pleasing result. The final design careful considered how they could be integrated into a public realm strategy that provided additional space for pedestrians at the entrances.
The ventilation shaft is integrated into the new urban realm
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Portfolio | Shafts and Headhouses
Whitechapel & Farringdon Elizabeth Line Shafts Location London, United Kingdom
Status Complete
Client Crossrail Ltd
Project value £200 million
Sector Transport, Infrastructure
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Portfolio | Shafts and Headhouses
Whitechapel & Farringdon Shafts A key component of the new stations on the Elizabeth line was the consideration and integration of the required ventilation and escape shafts throughout the urban environment. At Whitechapel and Farringdon, the structures were situated in constrained locations, at Whitechapel the proposed location was in a local park, and at Farringdon on a street between existing residents and commercial buildings. Our design for the structure focused on viewing these structures as urban sculptures, combining the necessary technical and safety requirements with high-quality structures that created a point of interest within the environment, disguising their purpose.
01 Farringdon shafts sit within the urban street context 02 At Whitechapel the shafts are designed as urban sculptures within the park setting
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Portfolio | Shafts and Headhouses
London Bridge Station
Location London, United Kingdom
Status Built
Client Transport for London
Project value Confidential
Sector Transport, Infrastructure
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Portfolio | Shafts and Headhouses
London Bridge Station
London Bridge Jubilee Line Station adjoins the Southwark Cathedral conservation area, and particular attention needed to be paid to the vent shafts and emergency escape shafts in this sensitive location. Presentations were made to English Heritage and the Royal Fine Art Commission to agree a design approach. The final structure has the appearance of a warehouse, with a sensitive design language reflecting the local buildings, while incorporating all the technical requirements and facilities needed.
Jubilee Line ventilation shaft is undistinguishable along the urban street context
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Services
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Digital Design
As we strive for precision and quality, we utilise leading technology to achieve this efficiently and accurately. We use Building Information Modelling (BIM) in Revit and BIM 360 to ensure the design is wellunderstood and composed carefully and coordinated. We use fluid modelling and parametric software like Rhino and Grasshopper to reduce manual workflows, for optioneering and to find accurate answers to complex problems. We use Geographical Information System (GIS) mapping to understand data and to inform design inputs. All these systems allow us to provide the necessary quality assurance while enhance our design workflows and collaboration.
01 BIM model highlight the complexity of shaft structures 02 3D Model for Thames Tideway site 03 Integrated models allow for the design to be coordinated across multiple disciplines
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Portfolio | Shafts and Headhouses
Advanced Manufactoring Across all our projects we have been at the forefront of linewide design and the application of advanced manufacturing for design and delivery efficiency at stations and the infrastructure that support infrastructure delivery.
01 Standardisation of façades for HS2 structures 02 Testing of construction methodology for shaft facade 03 Detailed componentry 04 Use of off-site manufacturing to improve on-site construction programmes
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Portfolio | Shafts and Headhouses
Arts & Culture Integration We have worked closely with Artists on major projects to develop and integrate art into infrastructure. We understand how to set and manage expectations on all sides and how to coordinate artistic integrity with the technical requirements of built or landscaped structures. Art can play an important role in rooting a project in its context, providing visual interest as a landmark and local pride.
01 Use of bold colours for urban shafts 02 Artwork forms a key part of the Thames Tideway sites in King Edward Memorial Park 03 Integration of Braile design on station shaft 04 Celebrating the completion of the facade for headhouse structures with local artist
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Portfolio | Shafts and Headhouses
Stakeholder & Community Engagement We provide critical support to public engagement engaging will all those impacted by a project. We take time to engage and explain presenting complex or technical subjects in an accessible way, using a full range of visual material, including simple diagrams, rendered images and physical models all produced in-house.
01 Community engagement during scheme development 02 Physical model produced in-house for stakeholder engagement 03 Engagement workshop with key stakeholders
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Awards
RIBA London (South East) Region Award | Woolwich Elizabeth Line Station RIBA London Award Winner | Paddington Elizabeth Line Station RIBA National Award Winner | Paddington Elizabeth Line Station Azure, AZ Awards | Durham Meadoway Visioning Study Best Completed Building, Transport, WAF Awards | Paddington Elizabeth Line Station Ontario Association of Architects, Award of Excellence | Lawrence Orton Early Learning & Child Care Centre Global Design & Architecture Awards, Mixed Used (Concept) Winner (First Award) | Lawrence East Canadian Architect, Award of Excellence | 11 Brock Avenue AIA Canada Society, Design Award | Durham Meadoway Visioning Study Prix Versailles, Prix Versailles Winner | Passenger Stations Civic Trust Award | Paddington Elizabeth Line Station Civic Trust Award | Woolwich Elizabeth Line Station Civic Trust Special Transport & Infrastructure Award | Elizabeth Line Station Prix Versailles, Prix Versailles Winner | Passenger Stations Civic Trust Award | Paddington Elizabeth Line Station
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