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.
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.
All MEP systems within One Hanover Street are being fully replaced, with new services distributed through the upgraded risers to each office floor. The refurbished building will benefit from high-efficiency heat-recovery systems, LED lighting throughout, intelligent lighting controls, a common network system and new fan-coil units among other modern building services upgrades.
Premier Inn has recently invested in the redevelopment of its Uxbridge hotel to provide increased accommodation options and better facilities for guests.
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 Minerva House redevelopment works will include the partial demolition of the existing building and extension comprising of additional upper floors and a new lower ground floor.