Willmott Dixon Interiors is to transform a 67,000 square foot commercial office building in central Birmingham on behalf of Royal London Asset Management (RLAM).

The company has been chosen to deliver the CAT A refurbishment of 5 St. Philips Place, a prominent seven-storey building in the heart of Birmingham’s Colmore Business District.

The new design will reconfigure the building’s two existing entrances into a single prominent reception fronting Cathedral Square and will include features such as a new double height reception area with client amenity and welcome space.

The office accommodation will be finished to CAT A standard with a new fresh air ventilation supplied via the floor voids at rates of 12 litres per second, per person.

The building will also offer new external terracing to the seventh floor, offering views over the Square and Cathedral and onto Colmore Row. Amenities will include a new designated cycle hub with bike storage and end of journey facilities such as showers, lockers and drying rooms to support more sustainable and active modes of transport.

The refurbishment aims to meet several ambitious wellbeing and sustainability targets, including Wiredscore ‘Platinum’ and WELL ‘Platinum’, and will be available to let from Q1 2024.

Phil Crowther, regional director of Willmott Dixon Interiors, said:

“5 St. Philips Place is a fabulous building on a historic site in the heart of Birmingham city centre. This project will bring the building up to modern standards, making access more inclusive and delivering Grade A office accommodation that will be attractive to prospective occupiers. We’re proud to be delivering a scheme with such strong sustainability credentials which is in keeping with the building’s location in the Colmore Row Conservation Area.”

Will Hawking, senior asset manager at RLAM, said:

“This is an exciting opportunity to re-imagine this high-profile office building. It is arguably the best location in Birmingham and really showcase the building’s strong environmental and social value credentials. From inception, the design team’s brief has been to minimise the carbon impact in producing a best-in-class building targeting operationally net zero carbon.

“Working with Willmott Dixon Interiors, we are collaborating with the team to ensure social benefits such as sustainable procurement is followed through local supply chains, with free access to local construction skills and reach out programmes set up with local schools.”

5 St. Philips Place is on the site of the former Blue Coat School which was established in the 1700s. Formerly home to Prudential Assurance, it was most recently used by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government.