Office Fit Out and Refurbishment Specialists

IHS – Coulsdon

Coulsden CR5 / Information Services / 35,000 sq ft / 12 weeks

Consult and design

IHS is a global supplier of information, decision support tools and operational services. With environmental sustainability – a major area of expertise, it was no surprise that energy efficiency was an absolute priority for the company’s office design and fit out in Coulsdon, Surrey. We’d already taken on the challenge of refurbishing IHS’s new UK headquarters in central London with excellent results and were pleased to be appointed to design and refurbish the Surrey satellite office.

Manage and build

Previously occupied by recent IHS acquisition James Defence, the two-storey building was tired and neglected. We needed to create a workspace of the standard we’d achieved at the London HQ, using a similar palette of materials for brand continuity. The work included full strip out back to Cat A and the installation of a completely new services package, new WCs and shower facilities. We split the programme into four consecutive 12-week phases to ensure total business continuity throughout the project. The sustainability measures we included as a result of close client consultation at the outset ensured that the transformed new offices achieved a SKA Silver rating, in line with our client’s aspirations.

The new space

The first and second floors are open plan working floors with some meeting rooms, storerooms and a communication room. The ground floor scope was the most extensive, including the design and creation of a suitable reception area and client meeting suite, a recording studio and seminar rooms, staff canteen and breakout hub, shower block and locker rooms and some open plan workspaces.