MAX Architects has completed the 150,000 sq ft mixed-use redevelopment of 25 Wilton Road in London Victoria for Royal London Asset Management (RLAM), increasing the value of their asset threefold.
There is a lot of talk about the erosion of the Architect’s role at the moment, but we don’t buy it.
As Architects, if we understand our clients and listen to the valuable input of contractors and agents, we will remain a vital contributor in the complex development process. Through successful collaboration and innovation we can create a lot of value for our clients.
We are very pleased with the finished scheme, as are our Clients at RLAM, the Contractor Kier and the wider team. Architecturally there is plenty going on in this building: a lot of craft, a rich palette and a degree of experimentation.
- The gross development value of the building has gone from an estimated £35m to around £120m as a result of the redevelopment. RLAM spent £35m.
- The scheme layers high-end rental apartments over innovative Grade A office and a mixed-use ground floor. The focus on rental has overturned the traditional development fears around this layered approach and unlocked an iceberg of value for Clients with sites and buildings in urban locations and the right team.
- The project, with design team continuity throughout, was very successfully delivered via Design and Build. By this we mean the ‘good’ D&B of collaboration and shared expertise, not the demon D&B of cost cutting and dilution of responsibility that we hear so much about.
- The project was delivered sandwiched between 2 red routes, at the junction of half a dozen conservation areas, surrounded by listed buildings, with an active theatre next door and an operational pub on site throughout.
- The design used the original concrete frame and so avoided approximately 4,500 cbm of virgin concrete being poured, equivalent to c. 450 tonnes of carbon dioxide. The BREEAM Excellent rating achieved by the scheme barely even takes this into account.
Over 80,000 Design hours and 65,000 Construction hours were expended over the course of the project, so if one person were to have done it all, it would have taken him/her 75 years to complete. Happily there were many clever hard working people involved and we would like to thank them all. This project was a true collaboration across disciplines from concept to completion and a joy to work on. We hope a bit of that joy has come out in the building.
