Watkins Payne provided MEP systems and IT cabling design services for the fit-out of 186,000ft² of commercial offices in the eight storey 1 Forbury Place in Reading, which formed the focus of SSE Services plc’s relocation strategy to consolidate several buildings from across southern England and accommodate 1,500 employees in a single location.
The Cat B fit-out design supports agile working, collaboration and connectivity, optimising employee and visitor comfort. Facilities include a café with catering facilities on the ground floor, main and secondary plant equipment rooms, a sixth floor conference and meeting rooms suite, and agile open plan office areas on other floors consisting of collaboration spaces, meeting pods and booths with VC facilities.
The majority of the base build MEP systems were retained, adapted and modified with flexibility in mind, to ‘future proof’ and support the Client’s needs.
The base build air conditioning, which is provided by electric VRF systems was modified to suit the fit-out. A standby generator was installed for resilience, and a fully networked CCTV and security access control system was provided to meet the Client’s operational requirements.
The Practice also assisted the Client in the initial due diligence exercise as part of the lease negotiations.
The building Africa House along Kingsway near Holborn Station has been refurbished to offer 119,297ft² of high quality office accommodation, for which Watkins Payne supplied building services engineering, vertical transportation engineering, BREEAM duties and energy consultancy to achieve an EPC C rating.
5 Broadgate is a new 12 story building next to Liverpool Street station in London which offer 700,000ft² of high quality office accommodation. This is the new headquarters for the Union Bank of Switzerland housing office and trading floors. Watkins Payne supplied building services engineering, BREEAM duties and energy consultancy to achieve BREEAM ‘Excellent’ and an EPC A rating.
New build residential development providing 142 units over 3 blocks up to 16 storeys in height.
Sustainability is incredibly important for the Client and as such the building is BREEAM ‘Outstanding’, WELL ‘enabled’ Gold, alongside WiredScore Platinum. In addition, the Design for Performance approach is been adopted in order to minimise operational energy and hence carbon emissions.
Apex Tower located next to New Malden train station is a 15-story office development. At ground level an enlarged prestigious reception area is provided which leads to commuter facility with unisex showers and drying room. The refurbishment works is targeting BREEAM RFO ‘Very Good’ and achieved an Energy Performance Certification rating of ‘B’.
The Bower office development in Stockley Park, near Heathrow, has been recognised as the best Refurbishment/Regeneration Outside Central London in the Office Agents Society Development Awards 2017.