Pemberton Row

What Did The Job Involve?

The project in Pemberton Row involved the full refurbishment of a Grade II listed office building located near Fleet Street in Central London. The building comprises a basement, ground and three upper floors with a roof terrace. The property is situated opposite New Street Square, near both Fleet Street and Fetter Lane. The area is synonymous with legal practices and the next-door building is the birthplace of the first comprehensive English dictionary, otherwise known as Dr. Johnson’s House one of the earliest residential houses in the City of London.

The building was fully stripped out including the removal of all services and walls demolished to facilitate the new layout. Repairs including waterproofing were carried out to the fabric and drainage. Structural alterations were undertaken to facilitate the new layout and access and basement access. The windows were fully refurbished and the glazing was replaced as required, The roof was overlaid and the handrails were upgraded.

Internally the offices were fitted out with new lighting, power, heating and cooling. A lift was installed and the stairs were renovated. New lobby division walls were installed with slatted acoustic treatment to ceilings. A shower room and kitchen were installed in the basement and the WCs on each floor were renovated to modern standards.

What Were The Challenges?

The primary challenge was access. Due to the land-locked inner city location there was no parking or storage facilities on site. Beardwell had to carefully coordinate just in time deliveries and wait and load waste removal. Our welfare and offices had to be contained on site which meant phasing the project.

Beardwell’s Added Value

Due to the type of work there were many unexpected items encountered. It was therefore important to assist the client to manage the contingency and risk allowances. Regular cost updates and value engineering exercises were undertaken to ensure the project remained within budget.