Grove House commercial retrofit

The refurbishment of Grove House was our first project for the Low Carbon Workplace (LCW), which provides high-quality office accommodation with reduced carbon, both embedded and in-use.

Our highly skilled energy efficiency know-how turned a pre-war office block into a highly sustainable and efficient work space that is EPC rated, increasing the value to the property owner.

Delivering low carbon emissions at Grove House was based on four key areas:

• improving the fabric of the building
• deploying high efficiency technologies to heat, cool and ventilate the space
• reducing operational energy consumption through sophisticated energy monitoring
• high level of occupier engagement

We've applied many of the principles at Grove House to another key LCW project, Mansel Court, although solutions to the building fabric and environmental control are tailored to each particular building.

The scope of work at Grove House:

• Improving existing building fabric including new windows, upgraded insulation and refurbished roofs
• Improving common areas including circulation space and provision of new efficient WC’s and lift
• Extending the building within existing open courtyard to create a new atrium comprising break-out space, lifts and circulation
• Optimisation lettable office area – a flexible layout to incorporate multi- tenanted lettable office space
• Replacing M&E services with low carbon technologies including natural ventilation, new efficient heating installation and low carbon lighting systems
• System which allows tenants to take responsibility for their energy usage and emissions including a display reporting live energy usage
• Secured bike store which conforms with the Hammersmith and Fulham City Council planning requirements

Winning solution

Grove House was one of the first completed by LCW, which aims to tackle sustainability challenge of reworking post-war building stock to meet carbon reduction targets within the constraints of the speculative office letting market.

The excellentrevitalized office space meant it quickly had tenants, such as investment manager Winton Capital Management.

Key energy efficiency features delivered

• New double glazed solar control glazing
• Thermal performance improvements to copper and flat roofing
• New atrium extension to rear of building which includes breakout space, lifts and circulation areas
• New main entrance and biodiverse roof