Ninety One, EC2

Ninety One

We were thrilled to be appointed to work client side as the Project Co-ordinator for Investec Asset Management in August 2018 and so proud to be part of the team that delivered this project to the rebranded Ninety One, in September 2020.

We have worked tirelessly with the dedicated internal Workplace team, led by the tenacious and brilliant Tahera Hammond, and the talented external consultant teams over the past two years to create the most envious offices for Ninety One staff and their clients at 55 Gresham Street – Reference link

Complete with a gym, media studio and a suite of wellness rooms, a stunning joinery installation depicting Table Mountain behind the main reception desk (reflecting the company’s South African heritage), four staff-working floors connected by a beautiful new internal staircase and bedecked with hundreds of plants, an exquisitely designed guest meeting floor on the 8th floor, with a beautifully crafted staircase up to The Terrace staff eatery on the 9th, with its breath-taking views across the City, St Paul’s Cathedral and the wider London skyline – a perfect way to enjoy a Braai outside in the sunshine, or a coffee in the cosy indoors.

This project had the additional complexity of Ninety One being the landlord, as well as occupier, which led to plenty of discussion and financial input into how fit-out and services should be diced and sliced.  BNP Paribas Real Estate were appointed, at an early stage in the project, to manage the building on behalf of Ninety One, and helped steer us through these tricky waters with experience and professionalism.

Ninety One occupy almost 70% of the 120,000sqft available at 55 Gresham Street, so a separate reception was also designed and built for use by the other occupiers coming into the building from Wood Street.

Under the guidance of Henigan Consulting we appointed staff “champions”, who were incredibly helpful in answering team queries and spreading the good news gossip about the build.  Regular updates were posted on the intranet together with photos and a monthly time lapse film, which also went hand in hand with staff visits to the building and a regular quiz.

The additional challenges presented by COVID-19 did cause some delay in sourcing materials and attendance by the appropriate labour on site, but although the construction work was slowed, it never stopped, with the social-distancing and hygiene rules strictly adhered to.

The relocation of 550 staff from 25 Basinghall Street was certainly a challenge and took a few weeks to achieve as opposed to two long weekends, but the door keys to the old office were handed back by 24th June as per the original brief.

This has been a truly fantastic project to be involved with, albeit challenging at times.

The professional consultant team comprised:

Designer:  HLW

Project Manager:  JAC Interiors

Quantity Surveyor:  Rider Levett Bucknall

Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing:  Hoare Lea

IT & Audio-Visual:  MiX

Sustainability:  Twin & Earth

Workplace Strategy & Comms:  Henigan Consulting Group

Catering:  Chapel

Furniture:  Showcase Interiors

Artwork:  Artiq

Relocation: Renovo

Main Contractor:  Overbury Major Projects