How do you overcome a challenge like a listed building that has a Grade II listing inside and outside? The Derby City Council heritage team made it clear, throughout the conversion of the old council premised to 53 new apartments, that no compromises would be made when it came to retaining the original character of this beautifully historical building.
Solution
Precise Office Concept for Floors and Walls
First of all, allow a developer with decades of experience of giving listed buildings a new lease of life. Next formulate a design team who will take the upmost care when designing any new structural requirements and an architect who is able to visualise the luxurious and homely flats whilst incorporating and celebrating the beautiful old features of the existing.
GBE were part of this team. We strategically manifested a mixed heating strategy which would allow the bigger apartments to be heated accordingly but would reduce the overall number of penetrations through the façade - for the boiler flue, drainage and ventilation services.
Result
State-of-the-art Office Areas & Meeting Spaces
Routes for services were carefully mapped out and coordinated on plan and in 3D to communicate effectively to the contractor, where services should go and why these routes need to be taken. These plans were also shared with the Council through the architect, so the heritage team could clearly see what the intent of the MEP design was and where services would be exposed and where services were to be hidden.
The GBE team also undertook the snagging and contractors proposal service during the construction phase of the project, to ensure the quality of work being installed by the plumbing and electrical contractors was high.
Although the project took longer than originally anticipated, all parties were satisfied with the final build due to the care taken by the entire design team from start to finish.
