Colmore Gate is a landmark development in the heart of Birmingham. The existing building consists of 16 floors with two basement floors over a podium and tower section constructed in the mid-1990s.
We have been working with the design team to extend and refurbish the building to provide 23 floors of office accommodation in the tower and 9 floors in the podium section, totalling approx. 315,000ft2 NIA. As part of the refurbishment, the existing VAV air handling system will be removed and replaced with an air source heat pump system with on-floor heat recovery units to provide comfort cooling, heating, and ventilation. Additionally the building will benefit from a building and energy management systems, high-efficiency LED lighting and controls.
The project ethos revolves around a core carbon principle of retaining existing structure and foundations and working within that constraint to provide new and exciting office space.
As the Sustainability Consultant on the project we are targeting BREEAM Outstanding, WELL Core Platinum, ActiveScore Platinum and RESET certified to maximise the scheme’s sustainability credentials. We are also completing a whole life carbon and circular economy assessment to see that we are maximising re-use and aiming to identify further reductions in carbon where possible.
In addition the building is subject to the Design for Performance approach with the aim to achieve a 5 Star NABERS UK rating. The building is projected to deliver an ‘A’ EPC rating.
The building’s planning application was submitted to Birmingham City Council in August 2023, and we provided all the necessary supporting documentation, including the sustainability statement and energy strategy.
We are looking forward to our continued involvement in the project, pending positive planning feedback.
Coda Studio, located in Fulham’s Munster Road, contains 57 self-contained office units providing rentable accommodation for various types of small businesses. An 8,600ft² section of the existing car park was reallocated for the development of a gym, lounge and meeting area, for which Watkins Payne supplied building services engineering.
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Acting on behalf of Oxford Properties the practice has undertaken both decarbonisation and Cat A refurbishment within the circa 350,000ft2 office led building while maintaining full operation for existing tenants throughout.
Watkins Payne reviewed a number of mechanical and electrical options with the team, focusing on retention of key central plant, overhaul and replacement of plant where required, and LED lighting to reduce energy and improve the office environment.
The building at 10 New Burlington Street has been redeveloped to offer 172,000ft² of high quality office and retail accommodation, for which Watkins Payne supplied building services engineering, vertical transportation engineering and energy consultancy to achieve an EPC B rating. We also supplied BREEAM services and achieved a BREEAM Excellent rating for the development.
1 Blyth Gate, Birmingham is a three-story office development in Solihull. It boasts a triple height reception and the amenity spaces within the business park in which the development sits offer excellent views of the surrounding area. The building has been provided with additional showers and cycling facilities to assist in promoting sustainable travel methods to work and drive down carbon emissions.
The Adventure Park covers 1.2 acres and is created using sustainably-sourced wood from the Windsor Estate, providing an extensive playground for families to explore together.