Old Admiralty Building.

Old Admiralty is a Grade II listed building with a vast range of historical features that are of national significance. We needed to accommodate a modern, flexible, collaborative workspace while protecting the building’s heritage. The spatial constraints, and planning and listed building consent considerations, made for a complex project that required thoughtful, innovative solutions.

Due to the sensitivity of the site, we worked closely with the Architect and Structural Engineer, BDP, who in turn engaged with Historic England and Westminster City Council, in a period of consultation. We reviewed, challenged, and adapted ideas through workshops to test the proposed solutions. We wanted to find the innovative methods to enable modern day building services to be sympathetically integrated within the building, whilst preserving the historic features.

Old Admiralty was originally designed with natural ventilation and heating provided by perimeter radiators. In order to facilitate the increased occupant density and combat known overheating problems, we introduced mechanical ventilation and comfort cooling throughout to deliver a pleasant, adaptable internal environment. We employed innovative air handling unit technology, iterative computational modelling, fabric enhancements and carefully devised services distribution routes to develop a coordinated solution with the design team.

The conversion of this world-famous building will provide a new home for a Government department. By protecting Old Admiralty’s heritage and features while bringing it into the 21st century, the building can continue to be featured in Britain’s history books. It is a privilege to have transformed one of Whitehall’s most impressive listed buildings into a valuable new space that will serve the Government for decades to come.