The NPS Group has been appointed to remodel the 4th floor of an existing office block, to co-locate two separate teams. Our Client has a large and diverse portfolio of properties that vary substantially in quality. This project is part of a review to ensure that the Clients' building stock is utilised efficiently and cost effectively. The Client recognises the importance that the working environment has not only on the productivity and efficiency of their employees, but also on the quality of their staff’s life. As a major regional employer and provider of crucial services to the community, this project is also about providing high quality working environments for happy and motivated staff that are designed to facilitate flexible working in open, collaborative, supportive and high quality environments.
The brief is to remodel the top floor of an existing 4 storey office block to co-locate two teams into a modern flexible and open plan environment with shared welfare, reception and meeting rooms. The reception area had to be welcoming to the public with conference facilities and meeting rooms being easily accessible from reception. Crucially, given the sensitive nature of the work carried out by both Teams, a safe and secure separation between the public realm and the workplace is to be maintained.
The existing central service core could potentially create a barrier to shared open-plan working because the plan is so narrow. This potential problem was solved by placing all the staff – break out space at the heart of the building, in the shared core of facilities and between the two kitchen area. Cross circulation between the two sides of the core has been designed in, with WC’s to one side and conference facilities to the further encourage interaction between the full office. Further discussions are required with the Client over the number of small cellular offices provided for confidential works. Both teams are engaged in work of a very sensitive nature and confidentiality is an issue. Cellularised spaces are however less flexible than open plan office space.
The building experiences significant solar heat gains from the South and West faced glazing and to some degree from the roof slab. It is therefore proposed to provide ceiling space mounted ducted heating/cooling units, with fresh air intake. Air will be distributed into the rooms via ceiling swirl grilles to minimise air flow draughts. The indoor units will be connected to roof mounted air source heat pumps via refrigerant pipework on a VRF system to allow for heat transfer within the building and allow flexibility for any future cellulisation. Three systems would be provided – one for each of the two open plan areas and one for central cellular core area. A single mounted cooling unit would be provided in the Server Room Control will be managed with a BMS.
