Our objective has been to position Portland House as the best refurbished office in Newcastle. We have achieved this through a complete refurbishment of the office floorplates and building systems, and the addition of a new reception, flexible workspace and bookable meeting rooms in Broadcasting House, and new end-of-journey facilities in the basement.
New reception
The arrival into Portland House was a key focus of the design work and sets the tone for tenants and their clients.
The works included:
- Demolition of the existing reception
- Extending and re-tanking the concrete slab between basement and ground floor
- Installation of new steelwork frame for the façade and roof
- New glass installation for the façade and part of the roof
- New M&E system including air conditioning, heating, lighting and IT infrastructure
- A major biophilic installation behind the reception desk
- A new post room and Building Management System location
Office floorplates
To create a modern workplace the old floorplates were entirely stripped out and refurbished. An emphasis was placed on maximising the natural light and introducing green elements to improve air quality and tenant wellbeing.
The works included:
- New Interface carbon neutral flooring
- Repaint using hygroscopic and anti-static Earthborn paints
- New Forest Stewardship Council certified door sets
- LED lighting on motion sensors
- IT infrastructure upgrade
- Access control system to provide tenant security
Broadcasting House
As part of the refurbishment works the listed building was converted into communal work-space free to use by tenants.
The new space was fundamental to our aspiration to be the best-in-class office accommodation and provide a point of difference to the competition who lack a communal facility of this quality and size.
The works included:
- Complete strip out of the existing space
- New M&E including air conditioning, heating, lighting, IT infrastructure and state of the art AV equipment to the meeting rooms and main space
- Category B refurbishment including new communal space, ‘superloo’ toilets, meeting rooms, quiet rooms
- Commercial grade with residential aesthetic kitchen and catering facilities to allow the space to be used for tenant functions when required
End-of-journey facilities
To help promote a healthy lifestyle, we have provided on site changing facilities in a new basement facility in the former records room.
Portland House has the largest provision of showers and cycle spaces per square foot in Newcastle.
The works included:
- Removal of the record room storage and fire suppression systems
- Installation of a new drainage system
- Installation of 14 showers (male & female sections) and a DDA compliant shower. Each shower contains a changing area, seating, clothing peg and a backlit mirror
- 63 new lockers including a DDA specific locker space. The lockers are sized precisely to allow for suit / shirt storage
- Male and female vanity units •New M&E installation including underfloor heating, lighting and access control system
Bike facilities
End of journey facilities are fundamental to office worker requirements and we believe this will only increase with a push for greater health and less cars in the city centre. Accordingly, we have made a significant investment in the bike facilities.
The works include:
- 80 new bike racks in a secure basement area
- 6 electric bike charge points
- A state-of-the-art drying room for wet clothes
- A bike maintenance station and bike lock rack
- A purified water point to promote the reduction of single use plastic
Core areas
A comprehensive refurbishment of the core, including the toilets, was undertaken to provide a seamless journey from reception to suite for tenants. Biophilic wayfinding signage was introduced to tie in with the reception and wider building green focus.
The new toilets on each floor are of the highest quality and finished to hotel standard.
The works included:
- Hotel standard new female, male and DDA compliant toilets on each floor
- Biophilic wayfinding signage •Refurbished lifts and lift surrounds
- New Interface carbon neutral flooring
- LED lighting on motion sensors
Connectivity
Portland House has market leading connectivity which has been cabled throughout the building and has been certified WiredScore Platinum.
Tenants are served by dual telecommunication rooms with triple network provision:
- Aspire ultra-fast dedicated connection (UDC) capable of providing up to 100Gbs as the primary connection
- BT Openreach 1Gb leased line as a primary failover
- 5G connectivity as an auxiliary failover.
All the connectivity is backed-up by our UPS and generator giving the option of the highest speeds and the most reliable connection.
Portland House app
Tenants have access to a bespoke building app that eliminates the need for plastic key cards and gives them instant control of room booking, visitor management, and facilities requests. The app hosts unique negotiated partnerships with local businesses to give tenants access to on-site services such a
"The judges noted that it has achieved a fit-for-purpose modern office with highly innovative sustainability and technological features throughout, making it the stand-out scheme this year."
Refurbishment of the Year Winner - North East Property Award
