Willmott Dixon Interiors

Willmott Dixon Interiors delivers LSBU’s £47.35m campus transformation

Willmott Dixon Interiors has completed the £47.35 million refurbishment of London South Bank University’s (LSBU) London Road Building. The national fit-out and refurbishment specialist contractor has redeveloped the university’s learning environments as part of one of the biggest transformation programmes in its history. The new learning hub features modern workspaces,

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Willmott Dixon Interiors hits major milestone at Wellington House

A refurbishment project to deliver high-quality office space and environmental improvements at the headquarters of West Yorkshire Combined Authority, has reached a major new milestone. Fit-out and refurbishment specialist contractor, Willmott Dixon Interiors has completed work on the renovation of the third and fourth floors of Wellington House, a five-storey

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Latest Issue
Issue 325 : Feb 2025

Willmott Dixon Interiors

Willmott Dixon Interiors to deliver DfE’s Sanctuary Buildings refurbishment

Willmott Dixon Interiors to deliver DfE’s Sanctuary Buildings refurbishment

Fit-out and refurbishment specialist contractor, Willmott Dixon Interiors has been chosen to lead the refurbishment of the Grade II listed Sanctuary Buildings in London. The Department for Education (DfE) has appointed the contractor to deliver the phased CAT B fit out of 12,850m2 across floors of the property in Victoria. The project has been designed to create a more modern, sustainable and streamlined office environment, which reflects the Department’s adoption of hybrid working practices. Willmott Dixon Interiors will deliver collaborative and open plan workspaces, including hot desking facilities and staff breakout areas, as well as new meeting rooms with state-of-the-art conferencing technology. The design is characterised by its focus on diversity and inclusion, with features that directly cater for those with sensory, cognitive, physical or developmental needs. They include the availability of sensory spaces, improved lighting and acoustic properties and a muted colour palette. Existing plant facilities will be upgraded as part of DfE’s decarbonisation agenda, while the infrastructure will be put in place to support the future use of photovoltaic solar panelling. Works will be carried out in a live environment, with staff decanted to alternative floors during separate phases of the project. The project is expected to be completed by autumn 2024. Graham Shaw, managing director at Willmott Dixon Interiors, said: “This important project will allow the DfE to facilitate hybrid working and consolidate its existing footprint within the Sanctuary Buildings. We’ll be refurbishing the building to modern standards and future proofing its plant facilities, to deliver a sustainable workplace environment that promotes wellbeing and inclusivity. It is the second significant project we have been appointed to deliver on behalf of the customer and we’ll be working in close collaboration to ensure everything is completed on time and with minimal disruption to occupants.” The contract was awarded to Willmott Dixon Interiors via the Southern Construction Framework. The project team includes Arcadis, which is delivering principal design, project management and cost consultancy services. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals 

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Willmott Dixon Interiors delivers LSBU’s £47.35m campus transformation

Willmott Dixon Interiors has completed the £47.35 million refurbishment of London South Bank University’s (LSBU) London Road Building. The national fit-out and refurbishment specialist contractor has redeveloped the university’s learning environments as part of one of the biggest transformation programmes in its history. The new learning hub features modern workspaces, amenities and technology, designed to support individual learning needs and create new and different ways of engaging students. LSBU staff and students will benefit from 191,000 sq ft of dedicated learning spaces, including a new state-of-the-art library and learning resource, as well as improved Academy of Sport facilities, with a fully equipped gymnasium. There are new open access computer rooms with updated equipment, private rooms for group work and study, additional lecture capacity and new and improved places to eat. The transformation has also completely overhauled the arrival experience at the London Road Building, with a new entrance lobby, staircases and lifts greatly improving accessibility. Willmott Dixon Interiors has delivered the BREEAM ‘Very Good’ rated space to maximise natural daylight, removing existing facades and installing skylights in the library and concourse areas. It features a new building management system to support the efficient use of energy and uses LED lighting throughout. Sustainably sourced natural materials are a feature of the design, including a birch plywood feature wall showcasing a large fabric artwork, which injects colour and vibrancy into the building. Externally a new blue roof system and rain attenuation tank have been installed to attenuate and manage stormwater.   The project used BIM Level 2 methodology, with works delivered by Willmott Dixon Interiors and its supply chain partners during the pandemic and within a live campus environment. It is a key part of LSBU’s wider redevelopment project at its campus at Elephant and Castle, which aims to consolidate its position as a leading modern university, and provide benefits to students, staff and the wider community. Graham Shaw, managing director of Willmott Dixon Interiors, said: “This is a bold and exciting project that realises LSBU’s vision for revolutionising the student experience. It has made best use of space across the entire campus, delivering dedicated learning zones and the capacity and facilities to serve students, staff and the wider community for many years to come. “We have a substantial presence in the university sector and have built a deeply collaborative relationship with LSBU during the course of the project. It has provided us with the opportunity to showcase our full range of capabilities in structural refurbishment, interior fit out and working in a busy campus environment.” The project was delivered by Willmott Dixon Interiors and a team including Wilkinson Eyre Architects, Eckersley O’Callaghan as structural engineers, BDP as services engineer and Fulkers LLP as project manager and cost consultant.

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Willmott Dixon Interiors delivers flexible new office space at Edmonton Green Library 

Work has been completed on a refurbishment project to create flexible new office and meeting space for housing and homelessness services in north London.  The fit-out and refurbishment specialist contractor, Willmott Dixon Interiors has transformed the second floor of Edmonton Green Library in Enfield, to deliver contemporary and accessible office accommodation.  Part of Enfield Council’s Build the Change programme, the new facilities will serve as a hub for the borough-wide Housing services. Willmott Dixon Interiors has carried out substantial alterations to the interior and exterior of the building at second floor level, to create a large, open plan office area with flexible meeting spaces. New partitions have been installed with glazed screens, as well as a new kitchen area, toilets and showers, and raised access flooring. The workspace benefits from an MEP installation throughout, with a new mechanical plant on the roof and new air handling, condenser and air conditioning units.  Externally, new large windows have been added to the east elevation, which also incorporates new steel wind posts and beams to create the increased structural openings and now greatly improves natural daylight penetration into the floor plate. Construction of the building has been characterised by strong sustainability credentials, with 98% of project waste directed from landfill and harvested rainwater used to limit dust on site. Graham Shaw, managing director at Willmott Dixon Interiors, said: “The way we work is continually evolving and we are placing new demands on our offices. Employers need modern and dynamic workspaces that can attract and retain talent, and enable their teams to work flexibly and efficiently. At the heart of the Council’s vision for Build the Change is also the wellbeing of their staff and residents; it’s investment in Edmonton Green Library has created a modern light-filled space that brings vital services closer to the people who need them most and will serve the local community for many years to come.” As part of the delivery of the project, Willmott Dixon Interiors and Enfield Council developed a strategy to maximise investment in local suppliers, with 74% of total project spend made within 10 miles of the site.  Willmott Dixon Interiors also delivered a 71% social return on investment through deployment of a social value plan. Activities included a careers event with local sixth form students and a virtual site tour designed to give an insight into the construction industry to an audience of 300 secondary school students. The refurbishment was procured through SCAPE, one of the UK’s leading public sector procurement authorities. It was delivered by a project team including architect, TP Bennett; quantity surveyor, Stace LLP; and Pick Everard as project manager and services engineer. 

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Willmott Dixon Interiors to deliver new base for Brighton & Hove’s social workers

Work is underway on the refurbishment and conversion of a former school and sixth form centre in Sussex that will become a new base for social care services and pave the way for the development of hundreds of new council homes. Brighton & Hove City Council has chosen Willmott Dixon Interiors to transform the site at the corner of Mile Oak Road and High Street in Portslade, into 23,336 sq ft of office accommodation for staff in its children’s services team. The council’s planning department granted a change of use for the vacant building which previously housed sixth formers from Portslade Community College and was once home to Windlesham House prep school. The move will allow the relocation of council staff from underused office space on a site at Moulsecoomb, which has been earmarked for the development of more than 200 new council homes. Willmott Dixon Interiors will carry out demolition works and a full strip out of the former Portslade school building, as well as some structural interventions and external remedial works and repairs. New M&E services will be installed, with parts of the building segregated through new access control doorways.  The £3.7 million project was awarded through Orbis, a public sector partnership between East Sussex County Council, Surrey County Council, and Brighton & Hove City Council. It is expected to be complete in spring 2022. Willmott Dixon Interiors will deliver a minimum of 5% social return on investment of the project value, through activities including local employment opportunities, education support and a hoarding artwork competition with local schools. Graham Shaw, managing director at Willmott Dixon Interiors, said: “This is a strategically important project for Brighton & Hove City Council, that will not only deliver new office space for social care services teams, but provide much-needed council homes in the area. The project has been designed to retain the existing internal configuration of the building to avoid large scale structural alterations. We will also have a full crew of operatives on site, including a dedicated traffic marshall to assist with delivery of materials and minimise disruption for residents and commuters.” The project team includes Potter Raper as quantity surveyor, project manager and employer’s agent. 

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Willmott Dixon Interiors hits major milestone at Wellington House

A refurbishment project to deliver high-quality office space and environmental improvements at the headquarters of West Yorkshire Combined Authority, has reached a major new milestone. Fit-out and refurbishment specialist contractor, Willmott Dixon Interiors has completed work on the renovation of the third and fourth floors of Wellington House, a five-storey office building in Leeds city centre. The project is transforming 48,300 sq ft of office space into a flexible and collaborative working environment, with improved accessibility for employees and members of the public. The new space is being equipped with a reconfigured entrance lobby and internal layout, as well as larger conference rooms for public meetings. Externally the 1980s structure has been re-roofed and photovoltaic panels have been installed to provide much needed improvements to the building’s energy efficiency and reduce its carbon footprint. The refurbishment contract was awarded to Willmott Dixon Interiors via Major Works England and Northern Ireland, part of the Scape National Construction framework. The project is expected to be completed by November 2021. Phil Crowther, regional director at Willmott Dixon Interiors, said: “We’re making excellent progress in the delivery of modern and fit for purpose office space at Wellington House. It’s especially pleasing to be able to handover these high-quality new facilities, given the huge challenge of ensuring the safety of our team throughout the pandemic. We’re looking forward to delivering the next phase of the project and continuing the positive relationships we have forged in the local community.” As part of its delivery, Willmott Dixon Interiors generated a social return on investment of more than £860,000, by investing time and resources in local projects centred on employability, people skills, career workshops and mentoring opportunities. These opportunities were created by partnership working with the Department for Work and Pensions on a Mentoring Circles programme; the Ministry of Justice on a programme in local prisons; and Barnsley College who Willmott Dixon Interiors have worked with to create two industry placements for students as part of their T-Level Qualification. Wellington House is the latest refurbishment project to be delivered by Willmott Dixon Interiors in Yorkshire, following the transformation of Quarry House in central Leeds on behalf of a government body. For more information, visit: www.willmottdixoninteriors.co.uk

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