Palliser Road: A Site Visit Reflection
Earlier this October, a group of us from CGL had the opportunity to visit Palliser Road, a Southern Housing Group project in Barons Court, West London. Situated next to the historic Queen’s Tennis Club, this development will see the transformation of Ada Lewis House into 36 mixed-tenure homes, centered around a landscaped courtyard designed to foster community. Palliser Road is CGL’s scheme for Southern Housing Group in Barons Court, West London. The project is sitauted adjacent to the historic Queen’s Tennis Club and will oversee the redevelopment of the Ada Lewis House, comprising of 36 mixed tenure homes and a generous landscaped courtyard to foster a real sense of community.
Jamie, Aaron and Arita organised a site visit for us early in October, as part of CGL’s broader initiative to enhance the technical skills and holistic development of all staff. At this point of construction, we could see the cross sections, build ups, as well as generally, gain a firsthand understanding of what is being built and how it aligns with the drawings we produce. Observing the project in person also highlighted the need to proactively consider spatial requirements for safe construction from early design stages—such as allocating space for scaffolding, material storage, and work sequencing. These considerations can significantly influence design, our material choices, layout, and even help manage construction costs.
Palliser Road serves as an excellent case study of a highly constrained site. With a high density of workers and materials on-site - the risk of damage and injury is significantly elevated. While it’s ultimately the contractor's responsibility to maintain site safety, means and methods - our early planning and forethought can contribute meaningfully to high quality design, constructability and a safer, more efficient construction process.
Key Takeaways from Our Visit
Our team’s discussions following the visit led to five key areas of reflection:
Picking Your Battles – Understanding when to push for design elements and when to adapt to site constraints.
Roof and Site Logistics – The impact of early coordination on efficiency and safety.
Deck Access Opportunities – Maximizing usability and safety in elevated workspaces.
Snagging Tips and Tricks – Lessons learned from on-site observations.
Importance of Coordination – The role of seamless collaboration between design and construction teams.
This visit reinforced how crucial it is for designers to experience construction first-hand. Seeing our work transition from paper to reality allows us to refine our approach, improve constructability, and create designs that are not only functional and aesthetically pleasing but also practical and safe to build.
