The Gilbert & One Lackington

Designed as a private members club, in 1930, by Frederick Gould and Giles Gilbert Scott, designer of the iconic British red telephone box, Citygate House has been lovingly restored to its former glory and returned to its original name, The Gilbert.

AET’s CAM-C (floor supply, floor return) underfloor air conditioning systems were originally installed on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th floors as part of a major refurbishment works which were completed in 2001 shortly after the building became the European Headquarters for media giant Bloomberg. Later that year the building was awarded the BCO’s Fit Out Workplace of the year 2002.

A total of 8 CAM-C units were installed around the perimeter of each floor plate providing 24-hour cooling to the densely populated office floors, which in turn were served by AET’s standard TU4 Fantile™ units and slim line TU3 units on the 4th and 5th floors, due to a shallower floor void, which were sublet to the law firm Herbert Smith.

In 2018 AET Flexible Space started working closely with the project team with the application of their floor supply, high level return. A key design consideration was how best to highlight the buildings distinctive character as well as increasing levels of natural daylight given the building small but numerous original sash windows. After extensive discussions and careful consideration, the decision was made that AET’s UfAC systems fulfilled both the architectural and mechanical briefs and was later specified as the preferred air conditioning solution.

AET’s system has formed a significant element of the refurbishment works, and has enabled the project team to maximise floor to ceiling heights throughout.

Given the inherent flexibility of AET’s UfAC systems allowed the developer, Brookfield Properties, to differentiating their offering, in London’s competitive office market, by providing adaptable, creative office space that can be easily reconfigured to suit any CAT-B requirements that are both unique, modern and above all sustainable.

Following it’s highly successful £60 million renovation, The Gilbert is now served by a total of 55 CAM-V Conditioned Air Modules and high efficiency heat pump units and a total of 838 TU4 and TU3 Fantile™ units across the buildings 9 floors.