Progress continues to be made towards a sustainable built environment that not only supports the wellbeing of occupiers but helps to tackle the climate crisis too.
Building owners, managers and developers have more sustainable options available to them than ever before, with a wide range of accreditations in the marketplace. The challenge is in identifying which one is right for your building.
As part of our sustainability series, we’ve taken a closer look at WiredScore, a certification for tech-enabled and future-ready buildings.
What is WiredScore?
WiredScore certification was developed in the US in 2013 as a means of recognising and promoting best-in-class, digitally connected buildings. It does so by measuring the quality and resilience of the digital infrastructure of a building, as well as its mobile coverage, choice of internet service providers, and whether the building’s critical digital infrastructure is safe and secure from physical damage.
Certification ensures that a building has the infrastructure in place to adapt to future technological advancements.
Why is WiredScore popular?
WiredScore is attractive to owners, developers and landlords as it can significantly differentiate a property from others in the marketplace.
Internationally recognised, it provides a clear understanding of a building’s technology capabilities, removing any doubts or barriers for potential tenants. It also provides a competitive advantage by showcasing a property’s commitment to technological excellence.
What are the benefits of WiredScore certification?
WiredScore certification delivers a range of tangible benefits:
- Ensures that a development is technologically forward-thinking and ready to attract the next generation of business tenants.
- Enables building owners and managers to understand, improve, benchmark, and promote a building’s digital infrastructure.
- Helps to future-proof a building.
- Supports efforts to improve a building’s efficiency, saving time, energy and waste.
Furthermore, by optimising design during the planning and construction phase of a development, building owners and managers can attract new tenants, avoid future retrofit costs, and enhance the building’s reputation.
How are WiredScore projects assessed?
WiredScore assesses projects in various five key categories. They include:
- Future readiness: does the building have the flexibility and capacity to adapt to new technology?
- Power of choice: do several high-speed fibre providers service the building, offering competitive pricing?
- Reliability: is there evidence of infrastructure planning which could mitigate potential outages?
- Security: is critical equipment protected from accidental or environmental disruption?
- Tenant experience: are the building’s tenants provided with a seamless digital connectivity experience?
The process is repeated every two years, or until the building is 60% leased. It is possible to arrange an audit prior to certification, giving owners, developers and landlords the opportunity to implement suggested improvements.
How are WiredScore projects scored?
WiredScore certification uses a points-based system which ranges from 0-100. A project earns points based on its results and performance, which leads to four distinct certification levels: Qualified, Silver, Gold, Platinum.
- Platinum
This is WiredScore’s highest-awarded mark and confirms that a building fulfils requirements for the quality of its wired facilities, durability, and wireless network. Platinum award-winning buildings must attain a predefined technological degree or more during the evaluation process.
- Gold
WiredScore Gold ensures that a building has the connection ability for almost any type of user, with a proven capability for staying up-to-date with the electronic demands of modern-day life.
- Silver
WiredScore Silver buildings must contain business-critical connection features. The most frequently granted score, WiredScore Silver provides assurance that a building can meet the substantial bulk of occupants’ technology requirements.
- Qualified
A WiredScore Qualified award proves that a building delivers satisfactory levels of digital connectivity, and is capable of meeting most technical needs.
Take a look at our WiredScore projects
Our construction specialists can support customers in achieving building compliance and certifications. Recent projects include:
- 10 Brindleyplace, Birmingham – WiredScore Platinum
- 5 St Philips Place, Birmingham – Targeting WiredScore Platinum
- 19 Cornwall Street, Birmingham – Targeting WiredScore Silver
Pictured Above: 10 Brindleyplace, Birmingham – WiredScore Platinum
In the ongoing effort to combat climate change and achieve net-zero emissions, organisations are increasingly focusing on decarbonising their estates. However, several obstacles stand in the way of attaining these ambitious goals.
Last year, we launched our Decarbonise Today service to reduce carbon footprint across our customer’s estates. Through this service, we are working in partnership with our customers to simplify the decarbonisation process. By understanding our customer’s estate and decarbonisation plans, we can help to design and deliver a realistic and actionable plan to implement.
Recently, we hosted a decarbonisation roundtable with our customers and consultants to delve into the key challenges and blockers they encounter while decarbonising their estate. The meeting yielded insightful discussions and innovative solutions, emphasising the importance of collaboration, embracing technology, and fostering a culture of continuous learning.
Breaking Down Silos: The Importance of Team Collaboration
One major challenge faced by businesses in their pursuit of net-zero is the lack of collaboration among teams within the same organisation. Often, individuals retain crucial knowledge in their heads, leading to a lack of continuity when they move on to new roles. Additionally, interdepartmental communication and information sharing are hampered, hindering progress towards shared sustainability goals.
To address this, it is essential to promote open communication and encourage teams to work together, sharing information, budgets, and strategies for collective success.
Embracing Technology and Overcoming Fear of Innovation
The fear of trying new technologies can be a significant blocker to achieving net-zero targets. Some local authorities hesitate to make decisions that may invite criticism or lead to financial wastage. Instead, they prefer to observe other organisations’ experiences before adopting innovations themselves.
To overcome this reluctance, it is vital to highlight the potential benefits of technologies like digital twins, Building Information Modelling (BIM), and digitalised Building Management Systems (BMS). By embracing these advancements, companies can unlock new levels of effectiveness and efficiency, making the transition to sustainability more achievable.
Addressing Budget Constraints and Prioritising Long-term Value
Insufficient funding remains a persistent challenge in the quest for net-zero. The perpetual debate between Capital Expenditure (Capex) and Operational Expenditure (Opex) often hinders progress. Businesses must recognise the long-term value of investing more upfront to achieve substantial savings in the future.
To tackle this, estate and facilities management teams must work collaboratively to advocate for and allocate adequate budgets to support sustainable initiatives.
The Importance of Baseline Data for Effective Decarbonisation
Before embarking on a decarbonisation journey, gathering baseline data on energy consumption is crucial. Understanding how buildings perform and identifying areas for improvement is essential for formulating effective sustainability strategies.
With reliable baseline data in hand, organisations can make informed decisions and prioritize energy-efficient measures, facilitating a smoother transition to a greener future.
Navigating Heritage and Planning Constraints
Historic buildings and stringent planning regulations pose unique challenges. Altering the fabric of listed buildings often faces resistance from planning authorities and Historic England.
To overcome these hurdles, collaboration with heritage organisations and stakeholders is necessary to find innovative solutions that preserve the historical value while incorporating sustainable practices.
Promoting Education and Behavioural Change
Education plays a vital role in driving behavioural change among individuals and businesses. Just as we turn off lights at home to save energy, fostering a culture of energy-consciousness in the workplace can have a significant impact. Providing employees with information on the implications of their actions and how small changes can contribute to a more sustainable future will encourage responsible energy usage.
Learning from Post-Occupancy Feedback: A Path to Continuous Improvement
To enhance future sustainability achievements, projects should be revisited post-occupancy. By evaluating whether the design intent aligns with practices, valuable insights can be gained. Sharing lessons learned among the project team enables everyone involved to learn from past experiences and make informed decisions in future designs, ultimately paving the way for more energy-efficient solutions.
We would like to thank everyone who has attended one of our decarbonisation roundtables so far, and look forward to seeing many of you in the future.
To learn more about our decarbonisation service, click here.
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.”
There has been considerable progress on the refurbishment and redevelopment of two former retail spaces. These units will be established into a new biomedical research & development facility within central Oxford, and will be known as Inventa.
There is a new extension to the front of the building. This extension includes fair face concrete columns and beams that also support the new floors, thereby providing a two-storey space. In total, 184 new CFA piles have been installed, with some going to a depth of 27m to support this larger structure.
The construction of the new first floor used an innovative method of rolled rebar from Hy-Ten Reinforcement, called Bamtec. Bamtec is a system for installing the reinforcement for an in-situ concrete slab in a much faster method than traditional loose bar. This process greatly reduces labour time, fixing requirements on site, and reduces the health and safety risk with manual handling. You can view the installation of this time saving process here.
In addition to the reinforced concrete structure forming the colonnade extension and mezzanine slab, the majority of the original steel work and existing red brick cladding has been retained, together with the original roof structure which was overlayed with a new metal roof system. This steel work will remain exposed and will be a striking feature within this CAT A project.
The precast stairs are now in place within the new stair cores. Furthermore, a curtain wall system has been installed to the front colonnade and the glazing is now in place. In addition to these large windows at the front, ribbon window will be installed to the back and sides of the building, additionally rooflights have also been fitted. This provides a light and airy space throughout the structure.
To reduce the carbon footprint of the building, 250mm insulation has been installed within the roof space. This will complement other heat saving features that will be incorporated as the project is finalised.
To see more about this project and to appreciate the scale of the refurbishment, you can see a bird’s eye view of the project from our drone footage.
For more information on what a CAT A fit-out is, see our blog.
Digital Construction process were applied throughout the design of the project and continue to be used throughout the build. To find out more about the benefits of this methodology, see here
Our universities are continually juggling the dual demands of upgrading ageing buildings without causing disruption to students.
While there is an inescapable need for modern and engaging learning spaces, the challenge for many university directors of estate is in how to deliver them within limited time periods.
Positive and rewarding student experiences
Willmott Dixon Interiors is at the forefront of efforts to support the Higher and Further Education sector in modernising its estate.
We’ve partnered with Arts University Bournemouth (AUB), University of Cambridge and University of Greenwich to deliver fast-tracked projects that have greatly improved educational facilities.
Not only have they positively impacted student learning, but they are also fuelling greater collaboration and enhancing the social experience of being at university too.
- Fast-tracked projects
- Challenging programmes delivered within academic holidays
- Creation of high-quality environments for staff and students
- Ongoing support for the modernisation of the university estate
- Supporting net zero ambitions of higher education sector
The three projects have enabled us to improve the sustainability of respective buildings and the biodiversity of surrounding communities. And we have also worked with each university to provide career fairs, mock interviews, and work experience opportunities for students during our time on site.
1. New theatre and recording studios for students at Arts University Bournemouth
We have completed the design and build of three studio units at Arts University Bournemouth (AUB).
Designed by our in-house team, the project has transformed existing space into modern theatre and recording studios which will positively impact students in their studies.
Works included the construction of a new mezzanine floor and fit out of new kitchen space, as well as new floors and wall finishes, acoustic curtains, new lighting rigs and furniture. New M&E was installed in all areas, improving the energy performance and efficiency of the studios.
Alongside our delivery of the project, we also made a financial donation to AUB’s sustainability programme which has supported the development of a nature garden, including two homes for hedgehogs.
Awarded via the Pagabo Refit and Refurbishment procurement framework, it is the second project we’ve completed on behalf of AUB following the refurbishment of the university’s Innovation Suite.
Key project outcomes:
- New facilities for students of specialist art courses
- Ongoing involvement in AUB programme to improve the use of existing space
- Financial support for a nature garden as part of AUB’s sustainability programme
2. Upgrade at University of Cambridge energy lab
We were appointed to refurbish the existing combustion test laboratory area within Hopkinson’s Energy Lab at the University of Cambridge.
The project involved demolition works and the construction of new walls and mezzanine floors, and thermal upgrades to the existing roof.
We also delivered an M&E refurbishment and made alterations to suit the reconfigured layout and service proposed laboratory equipment, including new ducting and a flue to the roof.
The refurbishment will provide the university with first class materials production and aerosols instrumentation laboratory facilities.
Key project outcomes:
- Newly refurbished space in existing building
- Creation of specialist laboratory space
- Enabled ongoing use of building while works were carried out
3. Students and support staff benefit from refurbishment at University of Greenwich
The refurbishment of the Dome and Aragon buildings has delivered new and improved spaces for students and staff at the University of Greenwich.
We have refreshed the students’ union within the Dome building through decoration of the soffit and wall finishes, as well as a full lighting upgrade.
At the Aragon building, existing space has been refurbished into modern new offices for student support staff, with a new entrance, floors, ceilings, internal walls, and finishes. We also completed a full removal and upgrade to existing electrical and data systems with new mechanical ventilation and new accessible WCs.
The new environment will positively contribute to the staff and student university experience, by providing modern spaces to work, study, collaborate and socialise.
Key project outcomes:
- Modern students’ union area
- Work delivered without disruption to teaching or student living spaces
- Additional support for students through provision of career workshops
To find out more about our work within the education sector, click here.
Modern methods of construction can work to develop the design faster and more efficiently.
We are currently delivering the refurbishment and extension at Princess Royal Hospital for University Hospitals Sussex NHS Trust. This work is on an existing modular facility to create a new Urology Consulting Department. The project has been driven by the need to create more space and improved services. Involving the demolition and strip-out of the building, fit out, external works and MEP connection, we have been revamping the space. The new Urology department will accommodate over double the current capacity, at over 1000 new patients each month.
Modular Construction
Modular units were recently delivered to the project to form the building’s super structure. These units were created off site and delivered to the project across three days. This was the chosen process for the project due to the nature of the existing building already being modular. Creating an extension in a modular way fitted with how the existing building was built. There were 10 modular units installed by our team during their delivery, which will help to form the Urology department.
Key benefits to adopting modular construction:
- Reduced programme
- Shorten time on site
- Reduced disruption to the customer, users of the building, and local residents
- Reduced need for storage on site
- Lower volume of waste
Martin Glazebrook, Capital Project Manager for the Urology Investigation and Treatment Centre said, “This project combines the refit of an existing building with these new modules to provide a large, purpose-designed unit for our colleagues in Urology. It’s a real pleasure to work on projects that you know will make such a difference to the experience of patients.”
Providing a more sustainable building
Not only does this save time and reduce disruption, it also further enhances the sustainability of creating the building. Impressively, it can reduce waste by up to 90% than traditional methods of construction. The way in which the units are created minimises the amount of energy used in the process of manufacturing the building.
Likewise, a reduced programme has its sustainable benefits. This results in less travelling to work, reducing traffic movements by up to 90%. Leading to less traffic on the roads also further minimises disruption to local residents and staff at the hospital.
Innovating the way we do construction
Our experience in modular units at Princess Royal Hospital add to a body of innovative work to reduce programmes and create an efficient, high-quality refurbishment. We implemented a similar process for University Hospital Sussex NHS Trust on our refurbishment at their Royal Sussex County Hospital for their Urgent Treatment Centre.
As pressures further increased on the NHS during Covid-19, with an increase of patients in A&E, the hospital’s need for additional treatment space was highly critical to support their everyday work. The customer needed this project to be completed at a fast-pace and effectively. Manufactured off-site, modular units were delivered and installed on site in an efficient manner to vastly reduce the programme length.
Containing 5 treatment rooms, a reception waiting room, accessible toilets, and a utility room, as well as commercial office space, this innovative way of working was successful. This was effective in building in a modular way for University Hospitals Sussex NHS Trust, helping to reduce the pressures of the Urgent Treatment Centre with additional space and improved patient flow.
To hear Andy Gray, Construction Manager, speak about the process of modular construction and the benefits, click here.
Willmott Dixon Interiors hosted two breakfast roundtable events at the end of April inviting our specialists, customers, and consultant partners to discuss decarbonisation.
Last year, we launched our Decarbonise Today service to reduce carbon footprint across our customer’s estates. Through this service, we are working in partnership with our customers to simplify the decarbonisation process. By understanding our customer’s estate and decarbonisation plans, we can help to design and deliver a realistic and actionable plan to implement.
These roundtables focussed on supporting the Higher & Further Education sector with a separate discussion focussed on Local Authorities and the retained corporate estate, including the transition to a lower carbon estate.
Many high-quality conversations were had, particularly concentrated on the barriers and challenges faced, which need to be collaboratively tackled in order to succeed and deliver meaningful change to existing buildings through refurbishment projects and programmes.
Key themes included: the importance of establishing baseline asset data and early engagement with key stakeholders, opportunities for cross collaboration between the public and private sectors and creating an innovative but robust Decarbonisation Plan with a supporting business case. These areas are expanded on below.
Establishing Baseline Data
Accurate information is an essential component in the development of an organisation’s decarbonisation plan. The utilisation of accurate and up to date consumption data is a fundamental requirement in establishing a correct emission baseline position, to which detailed decarbonisation investment plans are developed from. A key stage is the validation of this information to ensure that it accurately reflects the consumption behaviours across the estate, to which more informed decarbonisation and capital investment plans are built upon. It is essential that data being utilised is accurate, reflecting the true position of an organisation’s asset base. By ensuring the data is as good as possible, provides a strong understanding of Scopes 1, 2 and 3 emissions.
Engagement with Key Stakeholders
Successful delivery of net zero/decarbonisation needs corporate buy in with business leaders driving the agenda. Many leaders are now realising that a robust sustainability strategy can be a powerful differentiator, seeking to define — and execute — ambitious plans, with many leaders seeing the transition to net-zero as an opportunity to increase longer-term green economic growth.
Collaboration
Stakeholder engagement and collaboration along with supply chain engagement is an important way to advance net-zero progress. Business leaders should look at collaborative approaches on net-zero transition. To make meaningful progress towards net-zero, organisations need an integrated, holistic strategy that breaks down internal silos and builds connections across departments. The establishment of a strategic delivery group can play a pivotal role in doing so, from setting the strategy, developing governance structures, assisting with commercial decision making, financing, while providing operational support.
Solid Business Case
Existing Capital plans, in many cases are based on like for like replacements of existing plant and equipment, many of these plans do not factor in the additional capital costs associated to supporting the transition away from fossil fuel use to low carbon/renewable alternatives, which are a key component in the decarbonisation of estates. Discussions are required at executive/board levels, to help develop short, medium and long-term delivery goals, capturing this within a clearly defined decarbonisation strategy, outlining the actions and capital investment required to support the delivery of these goals.
We’d like to thank all those who attended and for their contributions across both days. Willmott Dixon Interiors will be planning further topical roundtable breakfasts throughout the year.
Work has been completed on the refurbishment of two mental health facilities in Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.
We’ve handed over the remodelled Forest House, a general acute psychiatric unit near Radlett and Albany Lodge, a 24-bed mental health care unit in St. Albans.
As project manager, Barry Talbot, explains, the pair of successful projects are the latest to showcase the anti-ligature expertise of teams at Willmott Dixon Interiors.
Careful planning in live environments
Children and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) assess and treat young people with emotional, behavioural or mental health difficulties.
At Forest House, CAMHS services are delivered to young people between 13–18 years of age who may require more intense treatment which cannot be provided in their own home.
Limiting the disruption these young patients are exposed to during refurbishment is crucial, which is why our delivery of works was so meticulously planned.
“We established a six hour working day, which we made clear to our specialist supply chain partners from the outset,” explains Barry Talbot.
“We were also in constant communication with dedicated nursing staff to make sure that access to various areas of the building was available, and that members of our team were escorted around the site as appropriate.”
Designed with patient safety in mind
The Forest House project has seen the full strip out and refit of a high dependency unit, paving the way for a new ground and first floor extension.
Non-secure accommodation areas have been partially reconfigured and refurbished, while there is new accommodation for staff too.
The nature of the highly specialised work involved in delivering mental health services, requires an estate which meets particularly stringent criteria.
It explains the level of detail and expertise applied by Barry and the team.
He says: “Everything we have put into the building has been designed with patient care and safety in mind.
“We applied a particular resin across walls and floors, allowing more than three weeks at a time for it to set fully in each room.
“Ceilings contain mesh, the walls have been formed of plasterboard with a ply finish, while the moulded furniture we’ve installed weighs up to 65 kilos.”
Meeting the latest anti-ligature standards
Albany Lodge is located less than six miles away from Forest House and delivers services to adolescent and older people towards the end of their rehabilitation journey.
We have designed and refurbished all bedrooms within the building to meet the very latest NHS England Health Building Note (HBN) anti-ligature guidance.
There have been upgrades to four ensuite bathrooms, five communal bathrooms and a further three communal shower rooms, while a new assisted bathroom has been added in the male section of the facility.
This type of work not only demands the highest construction expertise but also requires good relationships with NHS approved suppliers too.
“All light fittings were specified, beds with square posts and rounded edges were carefully screwed to the floor and specialist radiator covers were also installed,” says Barry.
“There are sloping wardrobe roofs, anti-ligature door stops, toilets fitted to the walls and anti-barricade hinges on oversized, NHS-approved doors. We have even installed anti-climb guttering.”
A different way of working
One of the key challenges in delivering the Albany Lodge refurbishment was the short amount of time for site inspections before the project began.
As medium secure patients had to be asked to leave their rooms, Barry often had as little as 45 minutes to conduct a site survey.
During the fit-out, staff completed a daily sign-off of work against a checklist. In addition, as each phase was completed, further checks were made from an infection control perspective to ensure that everything complied.
Just like at Forest House, the project schedule was also carefully planned around the specific needs of service users. Battery powered tools were used wherever possible and noisy works were confined to set spaces.
Barry explains: “We would start work at 9am once service users had vacated their bedrooms and would continue until 4pm when we’d hand back to the clinical team for inspection.
“All works were phased, and it was a longer project because of that, but we had a weekly ‘look ahead’ programme in place with clinical staff which enabled them to manage service user expectation.”
A partnership from pre-construction to project delivery
The refurbishments of Forest House and Albany Lodge add to an impressive body of anti-ligature work that has been carried out by Willmott Dixon Interiors.
They include Group-led projects at Broadmoor Hospital and South London & Maudsley Hospital while we have also been contracted to deliver a phased programme of refurbishment at St. Michael’s Hospital in Warwick, an inpatient mental health rehabilitation unit.
Our experience and expertise means we can work with customers from preconstruction to project delivery, through a collaborative approach which improves the staff environment and patient pathways.
We can also offer significant benefits to NHS Trusts, playing an important role in helping them to prevent vulnerable people from accidentally or intentionally self-harming.
The construction and refurbishment of mental health environments presents unique challenges for public and private healthcare.
Keeping vulnerable people safe from harm requires specialist knowledge and an acute understanding of the ligature risks posed in each estate.
Nabeel Javed, Construction Manager at Willmott Dixon Interiors, has dedicated the last few years of his career to supporting capital projects teams in the NHS.
Nabeel Javed, Construction Manager at Willmott Dixon Interiors
Fit for purpose mental health facilities
Rosewood Terrace is an inpatient mental health rehabilitation unit at St. Michael’s Hospital in Warwick.
The building was recently revamped by Willmott Dixon Interiors and its supply chain partners on behalf of Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust.
It’s one of several ‘anti-ligature’ projects we have been contracted to deliver at St. Michael’s, which are designed to prevent vulnerable people from accidentally or intentionally self-harming.
“We are delivering anti-ligature works to the very best standard,” says Nabeel Javed, who is leading the refurbishment programme. “It’s specialist work and very different from a traditional refurbishment. There is a large amount of detail behind each project and a huge focus on patient risk.”
Image above: Recent anti-ligature work completed at St Michael’s Hospital in Warwick.
Additional support for NHS Trusts
Budgetary constraints in public healthcare have led to gaps in construction expertise.
In practical terms, that means when a door or window is upgraded to meet anti-ligature requirements, other alterations such as removing vinyls or making good around the frame may not necessarily be included in the scope of works.
Nabeel believes that huge value can be added through “the finer details” by influencing guidance and assisting NHS Trusts in taking a schedule of works to a finished project.
He explains: “We might typically expect to see an architect or a clerk of works involved in refurbishment projects of this scale but generally that kind of knowledge doesn’t exist within the NHS. “We’ve developed an understanding of mental health estates that has enabled us to make our customers aware of any problems as well as offering them practical solutions. It means we can work with customers from preconstruction to project delivery.”
Image above: Recent anti-ligature work completed at St Michael’s Hospital in Warwick.
Applying anti-ligature expertise
Nabeel and his team have developed an in-depth understanding of approved ligatures and ligature points.
It covers everything from the installation of toilet facilities to wardrobe designs.
“Most contractors are used to working with a certain type of fire door but anti-ligature works require bespoke doors with topple arms that sense an increased weight,” explains Nabeel. “They need to be wired in a certain way so they can send out an alarm in an emergency. Similarly the toilets we install are very different from a standard model and require a connection to power supply units. Understanding these specialist items is crucial.”
So too are the relationships we’ve developed with the specialist manufacturers of such products, which significantly increases the speed and efficiency of installation.
Image above: Recent anti-ligature work completed at St Michael’s Hospital in Warwick.
Communication leads to good customer relations
Pre-planning, communication and good customer relations are essential to the success of projects delivered in a live hospital environment.
It’s especially important given the make-up of our teams, which feature small, well drilled groups of as little as 10-15 operatives on-site – including subcontractors.
The approach has also proved effective in the delivery of similar anti-ligature projects, such as Forest House, a psychiatric unit for young people, and Albany Lodge, a 24-bed mental health care unit in St. Albans.
Nabeel says: “We oversee the work and orchestrate it but we’ve developed a supply chain that has an enhanced understanding of anti-ligature. We have points of contact for every facet of the refurbishment.”
A specialist in any location
The success of our partnership with Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust has led to our appointment on several additional projects across St. Michael’s Hospital and beyond.
As anti-ligature becomes a more pressing concern for our resource poor NHS Trusts, in-house maintenance and capital project teams are often being left to carry the burden of delivering vital upgrades to estates.
It’s clear that they can only benefit from external expertise.
Nabeel says: “NHS Trusts face continual challenges in managing budgets and resources and generally don’t have the means to deliver projects of this type from start to finish. “We want hospitals to be aware that there is a service out there that can help them.”
Find out more about our anti-ligature work at St Michael’s Hospital in Warwick here.
Our project at 10 Brindleyplace has been awarded a string of certifications as a result of our major refurbishment.
This includes being named Birmingham’s first office building to receive Fitwel accreditation – a standard that measures occupant health and wellbeing.
Birmingham’s largest office refurbishment scheme has achieved the following certificates: EPC A rating, BREEAM Excellent, Fitwel 2 Stars and WiredScore Platinum.
Nick White, director at CBRE Investment Management, said: “The refurbishment of 10 Brindleyplace has always been about creating office space fit for today and the future needs of our occupiers. These certifications align with our focus on sustainability, wellness and technology and we will be delivering office accommodation that sets new standards in the Birmingham office market.”
The scheme, due to complete next month, will see the creation of 210,000 sq ft of high-quality grade A office space, with one of Birmingham’s largest available office floorplates, at over 27,000 sq ft.
The former home of NatWest is being transformed, with a new, modern façade, generous double height reception space accessed from both Oozells Square and Broad Street, and large modern open plan office floors with floor to ceiling height windows.
Occupier amenities will include an on-site café; fitness facilities including a bouldering wall and fitness studio; extensive roof terraces; cycle storage for 100 bicycles; and electric vehicle charging. The new West Midlands Metro runs directly past the building, with a new stop being created opposite its Broad Street entrance.
The project team include Workman, Associated Architects, RLF and Cundall; CBRE and Savills are acting as joint agents for the office space.
Read more about the project here.