Refurbishment of Grade II Listed Building
The headquarters of the International Transport Workers Federation, ITF House (formerly Hanover House) is an imposing Grade II listed building.
A ‘blacking’ (shoe polish) factory in Victorian times, the building hadn't been refurbished in almost 20 years when the project started, and the value of the property had been declining steadily.
The works have re-instated the historic open work-floors whilst celebrating the Victorian craftsmanship of riveted ironwork, brick work and vaulted ceilings. Alongside the architectural work, the building's infrastructure has been completely renovated, incorporating a new electrical, data and networking infrastructure while retaining period features and the exposed brick work.
The project has not only transformed ITF House into a modern, attractive and efficient office space, it has resulted in a 100% increase in the value of this landmark property.
Project Outline
Based on our experience of similar projects, Sigma Networks was appointed the principal contractor for the entire ITF House project, including on-site building work.
Phase I of the project ran from 2016 until 2019 when Phase II commenced.
In addition to its role of principal contractor, Sigma Networks was also responsible for all telephony and data communications. We also installed the fire alarms, together with building access control systems supported by closed-circuit television (CCTV).
Challenges
One of the major challenges for the ITF House project was that the building remained occupied throughout the refurbishment.
As a Grade II listed building, we also has to ensure that all building and electrical work was undertaken in accordance with applicable planning regulations, and with the approval of both the local authority and English Heritage.
In keeping with the historic nature of the building, we were able to hide the latest cabling and telecommunications infrastructure beneath the building's original Oak flooring.