Willmott
Dixon has landed its fourth project for the Low Carbon
Workplace (LCW), a consortium that includes Stanhope, Threadneedle and The Carbon Trust.
The
company has secured a £20million contract to completely refit the 1980s built Summit
House on Wilson Street to deliver 9,500 square metres of low carbon cat-A office
space. It follows the recent successful delivery of Mansel House in Wimbledon,
which modernised a 1960s building to make it 50% more energy efficient than
equivalent buildings.
At
Summit House, close to Shoreditch, key alterations by Willmott Dixon include removing
an existing storey and replacing with two new storeys to create a modern office
over six levels featuring a new copper glass façade. When complete in August
2016, it’s expected to attract a host of tech companies given its proximity Old
Street’s Silicon Roundabout, home to many of the world’s leading start-up companies
for developing new technology.
This
is the latest project for LCW, which buys old property to modernise and
increase its Energy Performance Certificate to at least a B rating. This
future-proofs the property against rising energy bills and new environmental
regulations such as the minimum energy performance standard - set to restrict
the letting of buildings rated F or G from 2018.
Chris
Tredget, managing director for Willmott Dixon in North London says:
”I’m really
excited to be working again with LCW to deliver the next stage of its vision
for low carbon offices that are efficient and comfortable for tenants and an
attractive investment for the landlord. It certainly plays to our strengths of working
on constrained, high-rise commercial sites in central London.”
Summit
House increases the number of current projects for Willmott Dixon’s commercial
team in the City. Others include an office refit at Tabernacle Street, refurbishing
the 1960s Maple House on 37-45 City Road to create 70,000 square foot of CAT A space
for Helical Bar, plus building the 13 storey Dorsett City hotel on Aldgate High
Street next to Aldgate tube station.
Chris
continues:
“This is a defining moment that points to a steady rise in property
owners investing to create low carbon office environments in London, driven by
tenant demand and the upside in value. Building them requires experience of the
unique conditions of working on tight sites to deliver major structural
alterations; we have just such a team with the know-how to deliver to these
exacting conditions.”