FDS were awarded the specialist subcontract to strip out the entire BT Sport installation within one of the expansive studios at the Here East complex. The fit out was full of sound-proof studios, data rooms, AV editing suites and the like. As such it was extremely heavily constructed. Timber framed partitions held up a joisted ceiling and mezzanine above, which itself acted as the plant deck for all the cooling equipment that was necessary to keep the space operational. In certain areas, the floor voids were filled with sand for further acoustic protection. Later on, FDS was instructed to also dismantle and remove the modern steel mezzanine structure to accommodate future designs.
Works had to be sequence in exact reverse to their construction as typically architectural elements had been given a structural purpose. Drop zones were formed in the mezzanine to allow M&E to be stripped from above and fed down. Each room then needed its roof stripped, followed by floor structure and then finally its walls. The extent of cutting was significant, and the types of material present gave rise to significant fugitive dust in a studio with a 10m high main roof. FDS controlled this through heavy use of extraction and industrial scale ride-on vacuum cleaners.
FDS was able to re-purpose around 1000 linear meters of timber joist and 25T of structural steel from the mezzanine structure. We also were able to retrieve 2no chillers and a switch panel as assets for insertion into data centre projects in other countries.
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The power of as built drawings to aid in demolition was firmly on display on this project. At the initial site visit, we walked what felt like a regular, if highly compartmentalised series of offices. Upon further review of the drawings, it turned out in fact that these were once soundproof studios built on a grid and built in a way that supported the mezz structure above and all its MEP plant. This dramatically changed the sequence of strip out as almost every element had a structural role to play. It also ensured we knew the vastness of the materials present.
The importance of this truly came to light when we displaced another contractor only a week into the project, who had not considered these things and had walked away from the client over the commercial impact they carried.
If you would like to find out how First Demolition can help you please send an enquiry via the form below.
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Email: operations@firstdemolition.co.uk
A: De-rating refers to works carried out to a property to render it incapable of beneficial occupation, with the aim of removing or reducing its business rates liability. This is typically achieved through a targeted strip-out of key elements such as services, finishes and facilities.
A: This depends on the building and the intended use, but the principle is consistent: the property must no longer be capable of occupation in its current form. We work with clients and their advisors to ensure the scope of works aligns with the level required to support a successful de-rating position.
A: Yes. While formal rating advice typically sits with specialist consultants, we bring practical experience of what has been required on previous schemes and how works are assessed in reality. We help translate that into a clear, deliverable scope on site. We have also worked with several different ratings surveyors and can assist you with their appointment and handle the liaison and documentation throughout the process.
A: Yes. In many cases, de-rating works form part of a wider strategy for refurbishment or redevelopment. We plan works in a way that achieves the immediate objective, while also considering how the building will be taken forward. This often means leaving the mechanical service infrastructure in tact.
A: Absolutely, many of our de-rating projects are partial occupation only. If floors or demises within floors are adequately separated, landlords can apply for rates relief for their specific areas. Equally, on multi-floor projects, they can apply for rates relief as the floors complete, meaning they are not waiting for the completion of the whole project before they achieve any savings.
A: In Central London, business rates on commercial property can easily get up to around £40 per square foot per annum. This is paid by landlords irrespective of whether their spaces are tenanted (except for short periods of rates relief). De-rating strip out costs will be capped at £5 per square foot and are often less than that. As a rule of thumb, it is common that stripping out for rates relief shows global savings after 6-8 weeks, and the savings compound the longer the space is set to be vacant. Over the course of a year, on a 10,000ft2 office space in Central London, we would expect savings of £350,000.
A: If you have a lease-end or a tenant has suddenly vacated your property, you have three months to act. If the space is new and likely to be attractive to a new tenant in its current form, you can wait it out. If however, there is anything dated about the installation or you feel that any tenant would want to see major upgrades in the CAT A infrastructure, then it is best to act now. When refurbishment is inevitable, the early strip out for rates relief provides pure saving to the overall process without jeopardizing future works.
