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.
Saffron House was refurbished to provide 38,000ft² of high quality office accommodation. Watkins Payne supplied building services engineering which saw the 1st, 2nd and the 3rd floor including the ground floor reception of Saffron House converted into open plan office areas and reception.
Client
Gross Internal Floor Area
The Crown Estate’s redevelopment of Albany House and 80-82 Mortimer Street has been an extensive and vital project to the area’s revitalization. Among the project’s numerous tasks,
Watkins Payne were commissioned to undertake the design and refurbishment of the 2 retail units, 15 residential units and office space.
10 Fetter Lane needed some freshening up for marketing, so the first floor offices were to be modernised as a show stopper with a contemporary exposed services design and improved floor to ceiling height.
The exposed services strategy implemented at Fortess Grove compliments the industrial nature of the building. Cycling facilities are provided along with showers and lockers at ground floor level accessed directly from the rear of the building along Railey Mews. The development achieved a WiredScore certification of ‘Gold’ and a B rated Energy Performance Certification.
The project also involved the refurbishment of the reception space and improvement of the cycle store entrance and wayfinding at basement level.