Conamar have worked with GSK (formerly GlaxoSmithKline) for well over 10 years, aiding them in developing their estate portfolio across the country, with laboratory, office and infrastructure upgrades in their live scientific research campuses. This partnership has allowed us to grow together, to identify value engineering opportunities and efficiencies across the portfolio, for the direct benefit of our client.

To accommodate for increased numbers of staff, Conamar were asked to reconfigure Building 1S into open plan “smart working” areas to provide additional space and more flexibility.

Procured under a design and build form of contract, this 26 week on site delivery period involved the strip out and demolition of existing offices and meeting areas to provide open plan smart working facilities with varying sizes and levels of meeting facilities, a community hub area, completely refurbished and extended WC facilities with a full replacement of all mechanical and electrical services within the 1000m2 works area.

Being on the Second Floor of a secure, occupied building the works were carefully planned to minimise disruption to the building users with measures such as external materials hoists and access gantries being utilised through a large amount of the works to minimise direct access into the building, noisy works being undertaken outside of normal operating hours and central plant and power shut downs being carefully programmed to ensure that all services within the occupied areas were maintained at all times.

There were some small areas of shared access to fully enable the scope of works, and in these instances we programmed our works to minimise any interfaces between our workforce and the other building users, and used floor and wall protection to safeguard the existing finishes.

We worked with the client to coordinate the FF&E furniture package, as the furniture had a substantial lead in period which we coordinated into our master programme so we could oversee installation and use our stringent quality checking procedures to maximise value for the client.

This site presented an additional consideration, as we sign non disclosure agreements to protect our client’s interests, and require our supply chain to have security clearance prior to order placement and works commencing on site. We have developed a “preferred” supply chain for this client, with regular market testing to ensure competitiveness, but which offers more certainty of delivery to time, cost and quality as we partner with them for multiple concurrent / subsequent works over a long period. By using a pre-vetted and security cleared partnered supply chain, we are also more able to mobilise very quickly to suit our client’s needs, and often have key elements (eg doorsets) available for call off as required.

Deliveries were fully scheduled and details of expected vehicles are submitted to the site security team. On entering site, our logistics manager guided the vehicle to the working area, checked the content before unloading, and then guided the vehicle out of site.