Leading interior fit out and refurbishment contractor, Willmott Dixon Interiors, is to deliver the new headquarters of the British Transport Police.
The contractor will refurbish 200 Buckingham Palace Road in the London Borough of Westminster, on behalf of landlord, Places for London – The TfL Property Company.
The fast-track design and build project will see the complete strip out of the building’s seven floors and the creation of modern, flexible and collaborative office space to CAT B standards that is fully accessible and DDA compliant.
Visitors to the building will be greeted by an enhanced arrival experience, with an impressive new front entrance being one of the project’s key features.
Safety and sustainability is at the heart of the scheme. Existing M&E services will be replaced as part of efforts to minimise the building’s carbon emissions and maximise energy efficiency, which will result in the building achieving an EPC A/B rating.
There will be additional works to the roof and upgrades to existing fire safety facilities.
Willmott Dixon Interiors has committed to a significant investment in skills and work experience for local people during the lifecycle of the project, which will include the employment of local labour where possible.
The refurbishment of 200 Buckingham Palace Road was awarded by public-sector owned procurement specialist, SCAPE. It is expected to be handed over in full, in 2025.
Roger Forsdyke, chief operating officer at Willmott Dixon Interiors, said: “We are looking forward to delivering this fast-paced project. It will transform 200 Buckingham Palace Road into a stylish and flexible headquarters building, with a working environment that facilitates collaboration and promotes employee wellbeing.
“We will be delivering the programme in phases and have carefully planned logistical arrangements to ensure the building remains operational at all times. As we will be working next to London Victoria Coach Station, special allowances have also been made to limit project delivery hours and minimise disruption.”
Laura Fernie, head of commercial offices at Places for London, said: “This is a key project which will see one of our office buildings transformed into a new headquarters for the British Transport Police. This will transform a previously operational building into a modern, highly-sustainable workplace that is targeting net zero and generate a sustainable revenue that can be reinvested into making London a thriving, more connected city.”
Christine Peppiatt, head of projects & accommodation at TfL, said: “It’s great to be working with Willmott Dixon Interiors, on behalf of Places for London, to transform 200 Buckingham Palace Road. Together we hope to deliver this new headquarters for the British Transport Police, providing an excellent working environment for everyone who works or visits.”
Mark Robinson, group chief executive at SCAPE said: “We are proud to be working closely with our partner, Willmott Dixon Interiors and TfL to ensure the seamless and efficient delivery of 200 Buckingham Palace Road. Willmott Dixon Interiors has a fantastic track record in delivering high-quality transformative projects alongside SCAPE and by utilising early contractor engagement and proactive collaboration, we will be able to guarantee that every aspect of the scheme exceeds expectations. At SCAPE, we are also committed to delivering social value in the local areas we serve. This will be a pivotal project which benefits the community, and we look forward to seeing the successful completion of the building and the lasting legacy it leaves.”
Willmott Dixon Interiors is set to commence works on the next stage of an £11 million project to expand and refresh A&E facilities at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.
The fit-out and refurbishment specialist contractor will revamp facilities at the hospital’s Millennium Wing on behalf of University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (UHSussex).
The project is an acute floor expansion, which will provide modern healthcare facilities and significantly increase capacity to support critical patients in the Emergency Department.
Willmott Dixon Interiors will manage the removal of all existing internal walls, ceilings and flooring within the building, and a full MEP strip out and replacement. The scope of the works also include furniture, fixtures and equipment, and decoration.
The Royal Sussex County Hospital project was awarded through SCAPE, one of the UK’s leading public sector procurement framework providers.
As part of its delivery of the project, Willmott Dixon Interiors has committed to a programme of social value activities which will benefit the hospital and local community.
Roger Forsdyke, chief operations officer at Willmott Dixon Interiors, said: “Over recent years, we’ve enhanced multiple healthcare environments on behalf of UHSussex. We’re proud to continue our successful partnership with the Trust and to deliver facilities at Royal Sussex County Hospital that will improve services, increase capacity and enhance the experience for staff and patients.”
James Millar, deputy director of capital development and property at UHSussex, said: “We’re pleased to progress to the next stage of a project that will greatly enhance the Emergency Department at the Royal Sussex County Hospital. The Trust’s investment in the Millennium Wing is part of a much broader commitment to improve standards and deliver a better hospital environment for patients and staff. It will enable patients to access emergency care as quickly as possible.”
Mark Robinson, group chief executive at SCAPE, said: “The refurbishment works at the Royal Sussex County Hospital will prove invaluable in supporting the need for greater capacity in the A&E department, while also enabling better patient outcomes.
“We are, therefore, pleased to be working on such an important and significant project with our partner, Willmott Dixon Interiors helping to accelerate this project forward, and provide improved NHS services for the community.”
Willmott Dixon Interiors has successfully delivered several construction projects on behalf of UHSussex. Recent examples include a £7.5m modular refurbishment at Princess Royal Hospital, and a state-of-the-art children’s audiology testing centre at the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital, Brighton.
Above: External view of Royal Sussex County Hospital
Leading fit-out and refurbishment specialist contractor, Willmott Dixon Interiors, is to redesign Brent Civic Centre.
The contractor will refurbish 22,600 sq ft of the award-winning council building in Wembley Park, to ensure it continues to provide a positive experience for all visitors.
The redesign will see changes to Wembley Library on the ground floor, customer services on the mezzanine floor and wedding area.
Accessibility is at the heart of the project, with the building being reconfigured to accommodate wheelchair users, pushchairs and people with complex needs. Visitors will be greeted by an enhanced arrival experience, including a new main entrance and feature staircase.
Upgrades will be carried out to the mechanical and electrical systems to create a user friendly and brighter workspace for the visitors. The wedding area will be spacious with improved acoustics.
Opened in 2013, Brent Civic Centre attracts thousands of visitors each year who come to speak to customer services, get married, register births and deaths, study, and socialise.
The project to refurbish the centre has been shaped by a wide-ranging review into how visitors and residents access its services. It included a consultation with more than 500 residents, staff focus groups and surveys.
Willmott Dixon Interiors was awarded the contract to refurbish Brent Civic Centre via the Procurement Hub framework. As part of its delivery of the project, the contractor will work with West London Careers Hub to support local schools and colleges through careers events, work experience and industry insights.
Neil Adams, senior operations manager at Willmott Dixon Interiors, said: “Brent Council recognises the importance of responding to the changing needs of those using its facilities. The Civic Centre is a hugely important community resource and this project has been purposely designed to ensure it continues to deliver a positive experience for everyone. We’ll be repurposing the space to provide better public access, with open spaces that are not only more welcoming, but are easier to find and navigate too.”
Councillor Fleur Donnelly-Jackson, cabinet member for customers, communities & culture at Brent Council said: “Our award-winning Civic Centre has served residents and the council well over the past decade. However, a lot has changed, particularly since the pandemic and it’s important for us to adapt to meet the evolving needs of our residents.
“This exciting transformation will enable us to better serve our community, prioritising those with the most complex needs, creating a more accessible space and providing enhanced facilities for all to enjoy.”
Andy Peck, senior client relationship manager at Procurement Hub, said: “This is another project that represents a great example of how working with Willmott Dixon Interiors through the Major Projects Framework provides great benefits for the public sector. In this challenging environment, the flexibility of the framework enables Willmott Dixon Interiors to move forward with Brent Council and deliver value in the right areas.”
Willmott Dixon Interiors has gained a reputation for the successful delivery of public sector refurbishment projects. The contractor recently worked with Enfield Council to complete the CAT B fit of flexible office and meeting space at Edmonton Green Library, and handed over a new children and family hub at Thomas Hardy House in Enfield, which opened last year.
Above: CGIs of the redesigned Brent Civic Centre.
Property consultants, building designers and procurement professionals came together last month to discuss procurement for public sector construction projects.
Hosted and facilitated by Willmott Dixon Interiors, the roundtable events in London and West Midlands centred around changes to the Procurement Act 2023 and featured John Simons, Chair of the National Association Construction Frameworks and Procurement Director of SCAPE, as a guest speaker.
The Procurement Act 2023
- sets out to ‘shake up’ current procurement processes
- to drive greater transparency across the public sector
- received Royal Ascent in October 2023 and is expected to “go live” in October 2024.
- Emphasis moved away from lowest cost/most economically advantageous tender (MEAT) most advantageous tender (MAT) and puts more emphasis on sustainability, environmental considerations and social value, for example.
The general consensus from the roundtable was that the Act is a positive step towards creating a more open tendering process. However, some ambiguity remains around the full implications, and questions were raised over what resources local councils and authorities have to enable effective implementation.
Joshua Armstrong, Regional Head of Framework Management at Willmott Dixon Interiors said: “The incoming changes will be positive in terms of ensuring fairer tendering and more effective use of public funding, however they are likely to increase pressures on public sector bodies. While the central government has capacity and skills in house, many councils, regional authorities and blue light organisations are unlikely to have teams dedicated to construction procurement. Therefore, it’s important to have appropriate solutions in place.”
Frameworks: tried, tested, compliant
Roundtable attendees agreed that a procurement framework could save time and resources during what could be a lengthy tender process, while ensuring the approach is tried, tested and compliant.
The transitional arrangements, published recently, means that existing frameworks or those authorities who have issued a Contract Notice before October 2024 will be subject to the terms of the current 2015 Regulations. Once live, all new frameworks will need to be procured and compliant with the new 2023 Act.
“Despite having limited internal resources and lean teams, public sector organisations can’t ignore this. The changes are coming and they will have an impact. In order to overcome challenges, opting for a framework enables an agreement to be put in place without running lengthy full tendering exercises. A framework provides certainty at a time of relative uncertainty.”
To find out more about procurement frameworks, please visit:
www.willmottdixoninteriors.co.uk/frameworks/
Willmott Dixon Interiors has completed the multi-phased refurbishment of a mental health hospital in Warwick.
The national fit-out and refurbishment specialist contractor has handed over the newly upgraded Larches Ward at St. Michael’s Hospital, on behalf of Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust.
It is the final phase of a project to upgrade 5,853 sq m across six inpatient wards at the hospital, which began in 2022 with the anti-ligature refurbishment of Rosewood Terrace.
The contractor has since upgraded facilities at the hospital’s Hazelwood, Rowan, Ferndale and Willowvale wards, which provide age dependent mental healthcare services.
All works were carried out in a live hospital environment and included the installation of new windows and internal doors, and adaptations to power, data and access control services.
Willmott Dixon Interiors has also made improvements to lighting, ventilation grilles, radiator covers and sanitaryware. Flooring has been repaired, and all six buildings have been decorated throughout.
The contract to refurbish St. Michael’s Hospital was awarded to Willmott Dixon Interiors via the Procurement Hub Major Project Framework and was delivered by a project team including Fulkers Bailey Russell and Design Buro.
It generated a social return on investment of almost £200,000 during the project lifecycle – equivalent to more than 19% of the total contract value – and met high sustainability standards with 99% of project waste diverted from landfill.
Nabeel Javed, construction manager at Willmott Dixon Interiors, said: “At the heart of this refurbishment is a commitment by Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust to improve patient experience and keep vulnerable people safe from harm.
“We’ve worked incredibly closely with the Trust over the last two years to ensure the successful delivery of each phase of the project. Our understanding of mental health estates has enabled us to create a modern environment that will support patient recovery.”
Sonya Gardiner, chief operating officer at Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust, said: “Safety and comfort of our patients is paramount, so we understand how important it is to invest in the refurbishment of our hospitals. St Michael’s Hospital is one of our main mental health facilities and these improvements ensure we will continue to provide safe and therapeutic environments to support the recovery of our patients now and into the future.”
Andrew Peck at Procurement Hub said: “This project demonstrates the improvement to quality of life for all involved with St Michael’s Hospital. This is a great example of how Procurement Hub, working with Willmott Dixon Interiors, provides great benefits for the public sector. It is also a clear indicator that social value is at the heart of what Procurement Hub and Willmott Dixon Interiors always strive to deliver through this framework.”
Willmott Dixon Interiors is currently working with Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust on the delivery of a separate refurbishment project at the Caludon Centre in Coventry. It includes remediation works, the replacement of fire doors and fire compartmentation line surveys.
Pictured Above: (l-r) Nabeel Javed, Willmott Dixon Interiors; Anthony Percival and David Steeds, both of Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust; and Craig Kitchen, Willmott Dixon Interiors.
We are proud to have been recognised in the BPIC Awards for Best Community Project. This is our third social value award we have achieved this year.
This accolade has been awarded for the work we have completed in the community in Walthamstow, as part of our Soho Theatre Walthamstow project.
Above: The team with the award
We are currently transforming the theatre from an empty and deteriorating building, into an exciting new London venue. The building will benefit from better ventilation, cooling, and a weather-tight exterior, with the live performance venue consisting of 1000 seats with restaurants, café, and bar areas. A true revitalisation of the space and a regeneration of Walthamstow’s high street.
In addition to creating a vibrant building within the heart of Walthamstow, working with Waltham Forest Council, we generated over £6.5m social return on investment within the local community. This includes working with several different local schools, colleges, and businesses within Walthamstow.
We have partnered with local businesses to support people into work as well as providing work experience, construction tours, CV writing sessions, and talks about potential career opportunities within the construction industry. To create greener spaces, we have donated and planted trees within the local community, hosted discussions around the importance of sustainability and run mini projects with pupils to design and pitch their own school whilst working within a team to divide up responsibilities. Connecting over 1000 people locally, we have helped to support people into better careers and improve employment.
A large contribution to our social value work was the three community-based projects ran by our management trainees, as part of their annual Trainee Challenge. This solely focused on improving local spaces, providing more green space, and encouraging people outdoors.
Above: Our management trainees at the Trainee Challenge last year
The first project was at Langthorne Park; a play centre and toy library for children and parents. This focused on improving their outdoor space and indoor area to facilitate community sessions.
The second project was at Project Zero; a community centre focused on reducing knife crime to zero in Walthamstow. Here, we decorated indoor areas, which were later used when King Charles and Queen Camilla visited, and enhanced the biodiversity outdoors to invite people to socialise.
The third project was at Lime Academy, an SEN school, where we created an accessible school farm for them to encourage students to be outside and learn about agriculture.
To continue this legacy, we have been working with Project Zero by hosting sessions to promote young people into the industry and work on improving racial diversity in the industry.
Above: CGI of how the completed project will look at Soho Theatre Walthamstow
As a result of the work we have been delivering on the theatre, it was taken off of the Theatre’s at Risk Register this year. This was a major milestone in the building’s history which we are proud to be a part of.
We are proud of the work we have achieved on this project so far and the value it is already delivering to the local community and pleased this has been recognised in receiving this award
Willmott Dixon Interiors is undertaking the refurbishment of the Sanctuary Buildings, the Department for Education’s headquarters in the heart of Westminster, central London.
Secured through the Southern Construction Framework, the project includes the strip out of the building’s 1990’s interior and its replacement with a modern office space over several floors.
The project is progressing within a live working environment and includes a complete modernisation of the mechanical and electrical (M&E) infrastructure, with new chillers, air handling units (AHUs) and new LV infrastructure
Work on floors 7 and 8 of the building is nearing completion, with the new office space providing a light and airy working environment. It contains glass partitioned offices, a quiet room, as well as modernised kitchen facilities. In addition to new M&E, the office space contains new electrical points for each desk, together with individual monitor stands. Energy-saving LED panel lighting and new acoustic ceiling tiles have also been installed overhead, aiding sound absorption.
The programme of works is having to be carefully managed to ensure that minimal disruption is caused and that switching from the old M&E to the new is as seamless as possible. With work on two floors coming to completion, the strip out of floor 6 is now commencing and floor 4 is scheduled to follow in August 2023.
To support the project’s sustainability objectives, the original windows are being retained across the building and all the original ceiling and carpet tiles are being recycled. With modern low energy lighting and new M&E capabilities, the building will benefit from a reduced carbon footprint and significant energy savings. Due to the number of floors that are being refurbished, the project will continue into 2024.
We are proud to have been shortlisted in 8 awards across the Construction News Awards, London Construction Awards, British Construction Industry Awards, Inspiring Women in Construction & Engineering Awards, and the National Social Value Awards.
Our social value work in Waltham Forest for our project to transform the former EMD Cinema into Soho Theatre Walthamstow has been Highly Commended in the National Social Value awards for Best Private Sector Project.
Some examples of the social value work we have carried out for Waltham Forest are:
- Supported multiple work experience students
- Delivered £5.33m in Social Return on Investment to Waltham Forest directly
- Supported local employment
- Delivered 3 community-based projects solely focused on improving local spaces and encouraging people outdoors
- Connected over 1000 local people to careers education events
We are currently delivering the refurbishment of Walthamstow’s Grade II* listed former EMD Cinema into a multi-purpose entertainment venue and cultural hub, Soho Theatre Walthamstow. This project was procured through Procurement Hub.
Above: CGI of the refurbishment we are currently delivering to transform the EMD Cinema into Soho Theatre Walthamstow
Our Thomas Hardy House project has been shortlisted for two awards:
- Project of the Year (under £20m) – Construction News Awards
- Cultural and Leisure Project of the Year – British Construction Industry Awards
In Enfield, we refurbished Thomas Hardy House and Dugdale Arts Centre to create a new office and community accommodation. Works included a strip out and CAT B refurbishment of the first and second floors of the existing building. Additionally a museum and community space has been created on the ground floor within the Dugdale centre. We delivered this for London Borough of Enfield, procured through Scape.
Above: Cat B refurbishment of Thomas Hardy House
Our Management Trainees worked on a community-based project last year ‘The Power of Green’, led by Design Management Trainee, Abi Inskip. This has been shortlisted for three awards:
- Community Engagement project of the Year – Construction News Awards
- Excellence in Community Engagement – London Construction Awards
- Community Investment Initiative of the Year – British Construction Industry Awards
The Power of Green, our Trainee Challenge for 2022, included four community projects across Walthamstow and Birmingham. Each project improved the environment and facilities that the buildings were in, providing more green space for the users and local community.
Above: Our trainees taking part in the Trainee Challenge
With a large focus on sustainability, we refurbished The Bailey last year to create our new London Office. This has been shortlisted for the below:
- Excellence in Sustainability Project – London Construction Awards
We transformed the space to suit the ever-evolving purpose of the office, and to benefit our people. This space consists of one floor of open plan office space with meeting rooms, an amphitheatre, biophilic design, collaboration areas, and desks.
Above: Refurbishment of our London Office, The Bailey
Social value and community investment is a top priority for our business and projects. Due to the huge impact they make on communities, our Social Value team has been shortlisted for the below:
- Excellence in Outreach – Inspiring Women in Construction & Engineering Awards
Our social value team work incredibly hard on each of our project to improve the lives of those in the community and invest time into increasing employability skills.
Above: Our Social Value team
We look forward to attending each of these events throughout the year, well done to each of our people across our shortlisted projects for this recognition.
Willmott Dixon Interiors has transformed Thomas Hardy House into a modern multipurpose space that will improve benefits to the local community.
Willmott Dixon Interiors has completed work on the refurbishment of Thomas Hardy House in Enfield, on behalf of Enfield Council.
The 44-week project has delivered new modern flexible offices and critical community service space on the building’s upper floors, providing accommodation for the Children & Family Hub.
Additionally, the ground floor Dugdale Arts Centre has been reimagined as a thriving community arts centre. It includes a museum with interactive displays, cafe, a mezzanine space and large tiered seating space that can be hired by the community, bringing new life to space that had been used as a vaccination centre during the pandemic. The reconfigured interior now provides a highly adaptable venue.
The 32,000 sq ft project is part of the London Borough of Enfield’s ‘Build the Change’ programme, a cross-organisational culture change initiative, which is modernising and streamlining the Council’s property portfolio.
Works included the strip out and CAT B refurbishment of the first and second floors of Thomas Hardy House. Two new glazed ground floor entrances have been created through the removal of structural staircases and modification of existing curtain walling. Heavy structural alterations have opened up the façade on the building’s first floor, paving the way for new floor to ceiling curtain walling. Staff and visitors benefit from new meeting room space, including the creation of modern meeting rooms with AV/conference technology.
The new facilities are serviced via a new MEPH installation, which includes rooftop plant, improving the energy efficiency of the building.
Willmott Dixon Interiors delivered a programme of community-based activities alongside the main works. They included work experience placements, charitable donations and career mentoring, which resulted in a social return on investment of more than £5.1 million. More than £3.2 million was invested in the use of locally based contractors and suppliers.
Graham Shaw, managing director at Willmott Dixon Interiors, said: “The refurbishment of Thomas Hardy House is the result of a visionary project by the council to transform office space for the Children & Family Hub and the temporary NHS Covid-19 vaccination centre into a vibrant community space.”
“The project was delivered in the backdrop of the pandemic, which demanded new ways of working to keep everyone safe. We’re thankful to our supply chain partners and our positive partnership with Enfield Council which has enabled us to deliver a successful project on time, while giving back a substantial amount of time and resources to the local community.”
The refurbishment was procured through SCAPE, one of the UK’s leading public sector procurement authorities, and delivered by a project team including TP Bennett, Stace LLP and Pick Everard.
It is the second recent project to be completed by Willmott Dixon Interiors on behalf of Enfield Council and follows the refurbishment of the 2nd floor Edmonton Green Housing Service centre into a new Housing Services Hub
Willmott Dixon Interiors has commenced work on a third major refurbishment project at an office building in West Yorkshire. We are reconfiguring and modernising c.14,000 sq ft of office accommodation on level 7 of the ten-storey Quarry House in Leeds city centre.
The project, which was procured under the Procurement Hub Major Projects Framework, has already received an excellent Considerate Constructors Scheme score of 43/45.
Eoghan Moriarty, Hannah Darby and Alex Turton from Willmott Dixon Interiors.
The achievement recognises our commitment to respecting the local community, caring for the environment and valuing our workforce.
These commitments include:
- Engaging with local careers fairs, schools and supporting Leeds Mencap via an Easter Egg collection
- Donating redundant furniture to a local prison
- Working to deliver Mental Health First Aid training to 100% of our workforce
- And, as part of our Now or Never strategy, targeting operational net zero by the end of 2030 for all new buildings and major refurbishments, and by the end of 2040 for net zero embodied carbon
Level 7 is the latest project we are delivering at Quarry House, and follows the CAT B fit-out and refurbishment of 64,583 sq ft of commercial office space on level 2 of the building.
Completed CAT B refurbishment for Level 2 at Quarry House.
Work is close to completion on a separate project on level 8, which is revamping 12,000 sq ft of office space to create modern, flexible office accommodation for as many as 130 people.
Phil Crowther, Director at Willmott Dixon Interiors said: “We are extremely proud to have achieved such an impressive CCS score. It not only underlines the professional manner in which we approach the delivery of projects but again highlights the many ways in which we make a real difference in local communities. Our teams continue to work incredibly hard to deliver modern and collaborative office space at Quarry House, where people can work safely and flexibly. We are confident that the knowledge and experience we have already gained during our time on site will ensure the completion of works on level 7 with minimal disruption for occupants.”