28th February 2023

The Skipper Building recognised at AJ Retrofit Awards

Perega has been integral to the successful redevelopment of a new open-plan workspace at The Skipper Building in Clerkenwell Road, London.

Recently shortlisted in the Workplace (£5m – 10m) category at the prestigious AJ Retrofit Awards 2023, the project, completed in Spring 2022, is a best practice example of lean and green renovation.

Formerly a brewery and tobacco factory, the two sites were first combined in 2001 and developed into five storeys of premium office space. In 2020, asset owner CBRE GI wanted to renovate the existing building, achieving a contemporary commercial office workspace that would subsequently meet modern needs.

Perega was brought onto the project in May 2020 by the architectural lead, GPAD London, to assess the viability of an additional extension at the rear of the property.

The client also requested the refurbished building include a more modern cycle storage facility in the basement, along with staff showers and changing rooms, as part of a move to encourage eco-friendly commuting for workers. The brief also specified sustainability at its heart, stipulating the achievement of a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating.

Furthermore, the new lower ground floor required alterations to the existing lift shafts. However, when evaluating the works needed at the building’s rear, we identified a few concerns that required immediate attention.

During initial investigations, Perega directed excavations, and a trial hole was formed to assess the building foundations, which uncovered a hidden basement missed during preliminary surveys previously undertaken.

Given that the basement was also part of the original building, the design phase now needed to take this into account. Fortunately, this challenging hurdle was swiftly overcome due to receiving permission from the client to incorporate the uncovered section of the basement into the overall redevelopment process, allowing it to become an extra area off the lower ground office space.

Commenting on Perega’s work, lead engineer Alan-Lace Evans says: “To see the AJ Retrofit Awards recognise this project is a testament to the team’s diligence and hard work. From a technical perspective, this project wasn’t without its challenges, especially when the hidden basement on the lower ground floor was discovered! However, everyone involved was able to work with agility and reinforce the area, making it safe, and futureproof but also sticking to sustainability targets.”

The awards are due to take place at The Brewery in London on 4th April.

To find out more about Perega’s work with commercial projects, visit our “Commercial Structural Engineering” page.

Photography by Tim Crocker.