103 Wardour Street Refurb

The system uses an underfloor void as a supply and return air plenum and the air is drawn up into the occupied space via floor-recessed Fantiles with individual remote control for maximum comfort. The building now offers 16,000sq.ft of office space and a 2,000sq.ft restaurant. The main tenant is the prominent advertising agency KLP.

The Wardour Street building is of six stories plus a basement area and retains the classically proportioned original facade with a modern building behind it featuring extensive balconies. The original structure dates from 1912 and is the work of English Arts and Crafts Architect Detmar Blow.

The site was originally commissioned by Pathé Frères cinema news service and it incorporated a fully-equipped cinema in the basement. The new building was developed for the General Motors Pension Fund by Langbourn Property Investment Services. The architect is the Modern Design Group Ltd.

Award-winning architects Modern Design Group Ltd. have created a new building behind a famous existing facade which inevitably led to complications with floor-to-floor heights. Ceiling voids would have been necessary for conventional air conditioning and would have been impractical. Piping and fixed duct work would also have detracted from the aesthetic of the building.

Underfloor air conditioning presented itself as the only viable solution. Being aware of Hiross as one of the most prominent manufacturers of underfloor systems world-wide, the project management team approached AET, the UK agent for Hiross.

Glan Blake Thomas of AET, comments: "All of the air terminals are linked by data terminals to the controller in the main air handling unit. A Hiromatic control panel displays the settings on LCD screens and communicates with the central building management system. The Hiross installation allows the facilities management team on site a great deal of flexibility. The ability to send over-ride signals to the central plant units allow the chillers and boilers to meet the requirements of individual tenants floor by floor promptly and accurately".

The structural work at Wardour Street involved supporting the Portland stone facade using foldable shoring. Areas of stone had become corroded and they were cut out and replaced. The roof consists of two green-slated mansards with a Hydrotech inverted flat roof guaranteed to last the life of the structure and it includes a plant room. The rear elevation of the building uses curved glass, white enamelled panels and sunscreen shadings.

Brian Burgess of Burgess International was the Consultant Project Manager for the scheme employed by Langbourn Property Investment Services. He comments: "We came across the Hiross system and realised that this was a technology which allowed us to put everything in the floor and avoid using a ceiling void. Since the client was anxious to use a flexible lighting system, this allowed a plastered ceiling to be installed and the AET solution proved ideal".

 
For technical information contact:
Glan Blake Thomas at AET on
Tel: 01883 744860 Fax: 01883 741 866
Web Site: www.FlexibleSpace.com
Email: AET@FlexibleSpace.com