Case Study: Delancey Real Estate achieves an optimized structural design for 176–178 York Way with Oasys GSA

Delancey Real Estate reduces crown tension stresses 8x with Oasys Software

Oasys Software's customer, Delancey Real Estate, faced a significant challenge developing a site at 176-178 York Way in London. The historic brownfield site was constrained by shallow historic railway tunnels and deep tube tunnels, which imposed strict loading limitations that had prevented development for decades. The client's architectural and engineering teams, led by KPF and Arup, needed to find a way to construct a new mixed-use building without overloading the fragile underground infrastructure.

The solution implemented by Oasys involved using its GSA software and the GSA-Grasshopper plugin for advanced computational design. Arup engineers used these tools to run a multi-variable genetic algorithm optimization, which iterated through countless foundation configurations to find the optimal load distribution that would keep the tunnels in pure compression. This process, powered by Oasys software, resulted in a configuration that reduced tunnel tension stresses by a factor of 8, increased the applied load by 25%, and maintained acceptable displacement levels. The optimized design was then rationalized into a series of post-tensioned strips and celebrated with a carbon-efficient system of deck-stiffened arches, which became a defining feature of the building.

Delancey Real Estate