Our Highgate Studios project, delivered in JV with Dowds, consists of the CAT A refurbishment of 12 office units, circulation areas and staircores, as well as the refurbishment of an external cycle store building. Works involve the removal of all existing mechanical services within the units and installation of new office ventilation, heating and cooling systems, public health systems and drainage, as well as new electrical installations including LED lighting, LV switchgear and power to fire systems.
Operating under a JCT Design & Build (2016) contract, we have undertaken design development from RIBA stage 3. Design development has been led by our project Design Manager and coordinated with our programme of works via a project Information Release Schedule and Design Procurement Schedule. We have worked to achieve our client’s key design aspirations, with the design of all units targeted to achieve the client’s requirement of an EPC B-rating.
Leveraging our extensive experience of operating under design & build contracts, Fado developed a list of surveys we deemed necessary to complete prior to accepting design responsibility. As per our suggestion, the client instructed these under a Letter of Intent and the surveys included:
- Condition Survey
- Damp Survey
- Asbestos Survey
- Building Control Compliance Survey
Situated on the main Highgate Road within Camden, our logistics strategy is focused on minimising our impact within the surrounding area. Our project traffic management plan leveraged our experience of working within Camden and mandates that no deliveries are to be made between 9-10am and 2:30-3:30pm, as these are peak traffic hours due to the proximity of the Parliament Hill, and WES School, campuses. All deliveries are to booked in with our online booking system and arrive and depart via Highgate North from the North.
Client
Kentish Town UK Office Propco Ltd
Our “Green” Traffic Plan for Highgate Studios further ensures that we advise all site operatives that no parking is available on site and directs use of the local Northern Line Underground or Gospel Oak Overground network for access to and from site. To facilitate public transport use, all Small Plant and Tools can be delivered and stored onsite in coordinated secure areas within each office unit, or in secure lockable wheeled containers within the site office .
Highgate Studios poses significant onsite logistical challenge. Consisting of 3 separate buildings, each with their own access and fire escape requirements for live office tenants, our meticulous logistics strategy includes the separation of the site into 3 distinct zones. Each zone has its own hoist for material distribution to avoid manual distribution of materials up the busy staircases.
Additionally, our site setup includes 2 material compounds, one servicing zone 1 and the other zones 2&3 to minimise the distance we are transporting materials from storage to the site areas. Utilising our online booking system, we have been able to implement a just-in-time delivery schedule for each material compound to ensure that they do not become congested with materials, with deliveries booked in 24-hours in advance.
During the PreConstruction period, we worked closely with the client’s Tenant Liaison Officer to review each office unit in isolation to understand any bespoke access requirements which we would need to accommodate. Dust and debris control is being achieved through daily cleaning exercises on live access routes and corridors where our works will interface with tenants and the public. Given the number of close interfaces with building tenants, each work location is segregated behind full-height PCV hoarding with a double digi-lock doorway for unit access. Within shared circulation areas and stairwells, our onsite Logistics Manager is deploying Chapter 08 barriers to segregate routes and maintain safe passage for tenants.
On our Highgate Studios project, we have displayed a number of tenant communication cards. These provide a QR code for tenants to scan and offer comment on their experience, as well as contact details for our Site Manager to address any issues they are having.
