Wealth management FTSE 100 company St. James’s Place, wishing to extend their Cirencester headquarters using the adjacent site, renewed their long standing relationship with the original developer Citygrove. This was particularly helpful because the site location, close to the centre of historic Cirencester, necessitated a very considered architectural approach within various planning constraints.
To accommodate the requisite 50,000ft2 office space and associated car parking, the design incorporated a four-level vertical plant space to the side of the building and two levels of parking integrated into the overall building envelope with three office floors.
Design of the façade and choice of stone were carefully developed by architect Scott Brownrigg with the planners to meet the desires of both developer and tenant. It also achieved the thermal performance parameters needed to deliver the required energy strategy culminating in a B rated EPC.
The base build MEP design was worked up in conjunction with St. James’s Place to accommodate their fit out needs. That was then proven when the Category B fit out was added into the base build project for a turnkey delivery.
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.
During excavation, a Roman headstone – the first of its kind in England – was unearthed near skeletal remains. The Latin inscription on the tombstone was translated to read: “To the spirit of the departed Bodica, wife, who lived for 27 years.”
Centuries on, the entire team has delivered an impressive modern building which empathises with the legacy of this historic town.
5 Broadgate is a new 12 story building next to Liverpool Street station in London which offer 700,000ft² of high quality office accommodation. This is the new headquarters for the Union Bank of Switzerland housing office and trading floors. Watkins Payne supplied building services engineering, BREEAM duties and energy consultancy to achieve BREEAM ‘Excellent’ and an EPC A rating.
The building at 202 Hammersmith Road has been refurbished to offer 14,864ft² of high quality office accommodation, for which Watkins Payne supplied building services engineering and energy consultancy to achieve an EPC B rating.
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 Bower office development in Stockley Park, near Heathrow, has been recognised as the best Refurbishment/Regeneration Outside Central London in the Office Agents Society Development Awards 2017.
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.
The building is provided with natural ventilation and LTHW heating to the showroom and office areas, plus the toilets which also receive hot water from the same boiler installation.