RED Construction Group, the specialist contractor, has announced the completion of a £20.5m office refurbishment to Aviva Investors’ Grade II listed Victorian building, 134 – 146 Curtain House, in Shoreditch.
Carried out by RED Construction’s London team, the six-storey, 54,000 sq ft building has undergone an extensive refurbishment, including the introduction of rooftop terraces covering 3,700 sq ft, structural alterations to the existing office into Cat A and B workspace, a new main entrance, reception area, and lifts. Originally built between 1881 and 1887, Curtain House was first used for furniture and clothing manufacturing, and now hosts 40,000 sq ft of office space for the modern-day tenant.
Designed by architects Anomaly, Curtain House has been refurbished with a primary focus on sustainable practices, achieving BREEAM Excellent and an EPC A rating. Complementing the rich history associated with the building, RED’s London team carried out considered external masonry, window and timber floor restoration, and repair of internal brickwork and steel columns.
Tony O’Farrell, Divisional Director at RED Construction London, commented: “Considered refurbishment of heritage-rich sites is a core part of RED Construction Group’s expertise, with our London team having successfully delivered an extensive portfolio of developments across multiple sectors in the capital. These types of projects are extremely important and rewarding, especially when we partner with a client like Aviva Investors, that shares our deep-rooted commitment to social value, alongside a desire to evolve buildings in a way that retains heritage.”
Petr Esposito, Co-Founder/Director at Anomaly, added: “Working alongside a deliciously formidable team that fundamentally understands the importance of heritage, its nuances, its irks, its challenges, its charms, and is committed to developing innovative and sustainable practices to best support the retrofit of a gorgeous historic site such as Curtain House, is unquestionably imperative. RED Construction Group have been the ideal partner to bring the relentless ambition of Aviva Investors to life, delivering our combined vision for what is a truly landmark, truly naughty building.”
Aiming to build a more inclusive and dynamic future for the industry and committed to leaving a positive legacy, RED Construction Group partnered with Aviva Investors on a range of social value initiatives to give back to the community.
Alongside partnerships spanning wood recycling initiatives and creative placemaking, the Curtain House team has maintained a long-term partnership with The Land Collective as part of their Black Girls in Property programme. Intended to equip young black women with skills and knowledge for careers in the built environment, the team has held four repeat engagement events through the project’s duration that include a site tour for 20 students, a three-day ‘Investing in Your Future’ initiative, two internships, and an engagement event showcasing the progress of the project.
The emphasis on Social Value initiatives at Curtain House has meant that the project has surpassed its initial targets across an array of education metrics. Including the work with The Land Collective, RED has through the course of the project helped to deliver nearly four times more than the targeted number of educational hours for outreach, and more than double the number of work experience placement days.
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