A REDEVELOPED office complex in central Birmingham has been officially opened after the project was completed 20 weeks ahead of schedule.
The £23m refurbishment of 1 Lancaster Circus by Wates Construction was completed in 72 weeks, saving £340,000 according to Wates, and saw the council building increase employee occupancy from 800 to 2,000.
Working alongside Birmingham City Council’s urban design team, the construction firm says it reduced the building programme from three phases to two which enabled the time saving.
It also said that 93% of the money spent on the project was with local businesses meaning that 120 jobs were sustained over the life of the project.
The five-storey building remained in use throughout the construction programme and staff were decanted from floor to floor as work was carried out to avoid any impact upon efficiency.
The building now 179 chilled beams on each floor which formed part of an overhaul intended to make the property more energy efficient.
Wates also cleaned and repaired the limetone cladding façade and replaced 527 windows.
Phil Harrison, Wates Construction’s managing director for the North and Midlands, said: “This was a challenging project for us given the building’s city location and the innovative construction methods that were required to ensure minimal impact upon the building’s occupants.
“The fact that we were able to accommodate these constraints and still complete the project under budget and ahead of schedule is a fantastic achievement and even better that our presence proved to be beneficial to the local economy.”
The 1 Lancaster Circus project was undertaken as part of Birmingham City Council’s Working for the Future programme, one of nine initiatives aimed at transforming the council’s property portfolio to deliver efficient, flexible and fit for purpose workplaces
The building houses the property services, development, children, young people and families, adults and communities, housing and constituencies, chief executive’s office and resources departments.
