Watermark Place

Watermark Place was to be an exemplar office development meeting the needs of a variety of future tenants

Theory

British Telecom’s Mondial House, a striking but obsolete 1975 exchange building (once criticised by Prince Charles as a ‘word processor’) was demolished in 2006, making way for Watermark Place. This 12 storey, 60,000m2 office development was to be as light and airy as its predecessor was bleak and forbidding, enhancing the riverside profile of the capital and connecting the City of London with the Thames.

Watermark Place was to be an exemplar office development meeting the needs of a variety of future tenants. The building also providing retail and public space on the river frontage

For NG Bailey, as principal mechanical and electrical contractor, the biggest challenge was to deliver £38.5m of building services within a 62 week period, during which more than 90% of the services would be installed and commissioned within a 32 week window.

In order to meet a demanding environmental and energy performance brief, numerous sustainable building solutions were also included in the specification.

Practice

With such a demanding programme, it was essential to work closely with the main contractor and others on site. At the peak of the project, we delivered £4.8m of services in one month, without compromising health and safety or quality.

The sustainable building solution benefits both incoming tenant and landlord in the operation of the building. For example, a condenser water system serves the downflow units within switchrooms, but is also available for the efficient cooling of tenant-installed equipment, such as server rooms. Presence and daylight sensors control lighting to ensure optimum comfort for those working in the building, while saving energy. The photovoltaic panels installed and connected into our electrical distribution system, produce enough energy to power one of the development’s three buildings. 

Watermark Place achieved a BREEAM rating of ‘Excellent’. Hailed as ‘an exemplar of sustainable urban design’, Watermark Place was also honored with the Institution of Civil Engineers London Merit Award 2009, the city’s highest award for civil engineering achievement. Prior to practical completion the developer concluded the total letting of Watermark Place to the Japanese bank Nomura, as its new London headquarters consolidating its various businesses into one location. Fit-out works are on schedule to allow occupation from August 2010.

Delivering Watermark Place was a demanding and challenging project for all involved. From the outset, the NG Bailey team took the lead in promoting a very strong team ethos, embracing the main contractor, professionals and trade contractors. This was a fundamental part of the successful and timely delivery of this high quality new waterfront building.

David Watts, Construction Executive, CORE