CommercialBritish Red Cross Refurbishment of London Headquarters

Loop Engineering are proud to have completed the phased refurbishment of the British Red Cross’ headquarters in Moorfields, in Central London. The works include the complete replacement of the M&E infrastructure to 2 basement floors and 7 above ground floors, whilst the building remained in occupation. This included new meeting suites in the basement mezzanine; Reception and exhibition spaces; full refurbishment of the existing auditorium; new breakout spaces to all office floors.

From an MEP perspective, it was important to ensure that there is sufficient capacity and flexibility within the MEP systems to allow the spaces to be used for different functions and tasks. We were able to utilise our significant experience in designing comfortable, flexible, and adaptable workspaces. The long lease period also required careful consideration as the whole life cost of the MEP services was a key consideration.

The existing aged ventilation system consisted of separate supply and extract plant with no heat recovery. Our ventilation strategy introduced separate heat recovery ventilation units to each floor. This aided the phasing of the project and allowed each floor to be done individually. At the end of the project, the existing air handling plant was stripped out freeing up significant plant space for future office areas or exhibition spaces.

The existing heating system was supplied from a dated and inefficient heat network that had proven to be unreliable and expensive. This was replaced with a highly efficient, localised heatpump solution. The existing chiller was at the end of their life and was replaced with a new VRF system, again configured to suit the project phasing and avoid disruption.

The existing water distribution system was fully replaced

Loop Engineering designed the new lighting and lighting control systems utilising high efficiency suspended LED fittings with daylight and presence controls to give the space it’s unique appearance. Bespoke LED fittings were introduced into the staircores.

The electrical infrastructure was reconfigured as part of the works providing new metered small power, lighting and mechanical services to each floor. This was done in a phased manner ensuring there was no downtime suffered by the client. The generator was overhauled and the main LV electrical switchgear was renewed.

There were significant budget constraints on the project and Loop worked with the design team to provide cost-efficient and innovative design solutions to achieve the project budget.

Collaboration was essential in delivering this project and Loop worked closely with the contractors, design team and client stakeholders, to ensure that the project was delivered on time and to budget.

The project followed “Soft landing” principles and Loop Engineering assisted in contracting a new FM provider who were brought onboard at the early project stages to facilitate validations. The were consulted throughout the project on new plant; maintenance and system descriptions. The FM team performed a key part in reviewing O&M information and witnessing plant commissioning and staff training.