CLIENT: NHS DIGITAL   |   TYPE OF WORK: REFURB   |   DURATION: 5 MONTHS   |   VALUE: £950k   |   SECTOR: COMMERCIAL

Illingworth and Gregory was appointed by NHS Digital to refurbish the second floor of Whitehall and seven floors of Vantage House, in Leeds, upgrading tired office space into much-improved areas and improving the mechanical and electrical provision on both sites.

These phases had to be completed in a live environment within strict fortnightly deadlines.

The I&G team and supply chain had to plan ahead to move materials early or later in the day, so the day-to-day running of the business was not affected.

An access control procedure was in place for the construction team, as staff and members of the public were also able to enter the building through the same door. Teams completed an induction on this and notices were put in place on the ground floor and lift areas to ensure access procedures were clearly communicated to staff.

The second floor of Whitehall was completed after the first six weeks and all efforts were then concentrated on Vantage House, with the final phase taking place across two floors at the same time due to time constraints.

Constant daily engagement took place with security staff for materials being moved and the client’s representatives were on-site daily for updates and briefings from I&G’s Site Manager.

A total of 20 subcontractors were used on-site, with 20 operatives based there at any one time.