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.
Quay Place in Birmingham is situated next to the Utilita Arena which is a sport, exhibition and a concert venue. The works consisted of a new structure to contain the main reception, meeting room, changing facilities and a café for the site.
The 7,600ft² area of 7 Bermondsey Street near London Bridge Station was refurbished to high quality office accommodation, for which Watkins Payne supplied building services engineering and vertical transportation engineering. The refurbished area is spread across basement and ground floor.
Princes Arcade in St James’s is part of the Grade II listed building within which a major new restaurant unit has been created along with office, core and atrium refurbishment.
The property situated on the A23 near Brighton was granted permission by the council under permitted development rights to change to a residential site from office development to provide 63 apartments. The apartments are separate over seven stories consisting of one, two and three bed apartments. The redeveloped to offer 59,000ft² of high quality residential accommodation, for which Watkins Payne supplied building services engineering and energy consultancy to achieve an EPCs between B – C rating.
The mixed use development comprises two office buildings totalling 220,000ft² of high quality office accommodation together with a 289 unit residential scheme consisting of private apartments and affordable housing building.