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 services use a 4-pipe fan coil unit arrangement with various ventilation systems to suit the different use areas. Full building power back-up standby generation, UPS, security and access control and automatic blinds all formed part of the fit-out.
Located to the east of Carnaby Street and part of the Shaftesbury portfolio, 57 Broadwick Street has undergone an extensive refurbishment of the office and retail podium area to provide new shell restaurant and retail units, two new apartments on the fourth floor, and 20,445sq.ft office accommodation on first, second, third and part fourth floors.
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’.
234 Bath Road development located in Slough is arranged over ground, first and second floors, with a basement level car park and podium level car park to the rear. The development constructed in 2016 stand at 68,000 ft2 of office accommodation. Part of the ground office floor area was utilised to provide a café to enhance the amenities within the development.
Academy House was refurbished to provide 22,100ft² of high quality office accommodation. Watkins Payne supplied building services engineering which saw the 3rd to 6th floor including the ground floor reception of Academy House converted into open plan office areas and reception. This became the London headquarters for Sports Direct.
Watkins Payne is proud to have been an integral part of the MEPH services, Vertical Transportation and sustainability BREEAM consultancy for the CAT A fit-out project at Pembroke Building, overseen by Cogent BC LLP.