Nobel House is the Headquarter building for Defra in Smith Square, London. It was first occupied by Defra in the 1980s and the cellular office space was typical of that time.

In a modern day office environment, this layout was no longer meeting our Clients requirements, and they commissioned a £25 million refurbishment project.

In brief the building needed to offer a new and much wider range of facilities for the Department’s Head Office staff. The building’s occupancy was increased from 580 to 750 and there was also the challenge of sustainability as this was a major requirement for the project.

The refurbishment proceeded in phases beginning on the 7th floor and working down through the building. The building remained occupied throughout the refurbishment which created a huge challenge for the design team. It was essential that the team co-ordinated and planned the works in such a way as to minimise the disruption to users i.e. noisy work carried out overnight.

Once we started the project the plans needed to be modified and design changes were made throughout the duration of the contract. Davis Langdon used their expertise to value all the design changes and agree the costs with the Contractors. Davis Langdon provided full cost management services under a traditional contract.

On completion of the project the building received one of the highest BREEAM ratings for a refurbished property and a number of sustainability awards followed.

The roof over the atrium with its Vector designed Texlon roof, similar to that used on the Eden Project, and seating area below, together with the larger restaurant and 6th floor roof garden, is popular with users and has been well received.