Minerva House
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.
With an iconic red brick structure Union House located in Southwark at the intersection of Great Suffolk Street and Union Street, has recently undergone significant renovations. Formerly a warehouse the building has been converted into offices, with its upper two levels demolished and replaced with new fourth, fifth and mezzanine floors. These new levels feature a fully glazed south-facing cranked façade, which provides stunning views to those on the upper floors. The reception, lower ground floor and third floor offices have also been refurbished to maintain a cohesive and modern look.
Due to the significant increase in floor space from these renovations, some challenges had to be overcome such as the building’s single lift and limited electrical supply. To ensure that occupants could reach the upper floors an additional lift was installed. For comfort cooling and space heating a VRF heat pump system was introduced.
Despite the challenges of the renovation, Union House now offers over 28,000ft² of multi-tenanted office space, complete with polished concrete or timber flooring. These upgrades provide the opportunity for quirky and unique office tenancies in the chic South Bank district of London.
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.
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 development is an 12 storey building comprising 13,475m2 (NIA) of office area over basement to eleventh floor and 141m2 of retail area located on ground floor.
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 MEP services were all replaced with a focus on energy efficiency using air source heat pumps, LED lighting and natural ventilation where possible.