One Causeway Park, designed by Ove Arup, is the first building on the new Causeway business park in Staines that is being developed by XLB Property and Canadian fund manager AimCo.
BAM has just started piling works on its 85-week construction programme.
The site is also being used as a testbed to trial the concept of flexible working on construction projects.
The five-storey Grade A building features a fair-faced concrete structure and soffits, circular columns, unitised cladding and a displacement system beneath raised floors to provide services. It provides modern flexible floor plates, and covers around 120,000 sq ft.
BAM will also deliver an accompanying car park with a steel system from Huber that BAM also used for its recent work at Stansted Airport.
“It will create a highly impressive modern working environment,” said project manager Declan Galvin, who previously led BAM’s work on the Kings Cross office developments in central London. “It will be visible from the M25 and be a signature building for the area.”
BAM will have a team of up to 100 people on site, including its specialist Services Engineering business, which will provide mechanical and electrical services to the project, with other service elements being provided by Arup.
Mick Kelly, BAM’s construction director for the scheme, said: “Our collaboration with XLB has already been very productive, having delivered the striking Tamesis Offices adjacent to this scheme recently. We’ve been able to show them what we’ve achieved in Kings Cross and brought a skilled and experienced team here who know how to make these ultra-modern working environments happen.
“Having this integrated capability is one of our advantages for delivering schemes seamlessly and without disputes.”
BAM expects to hand over the building in spring 2021, enabling the first occupants to move in during the summer.
One Causeway Park is also one of the first trial projects in the UK for flexible working on site. BAM is one of three contractors, along with Skanska and Willmott Dixon, exploring new ways of working. [See our previous report here.]
“We’re working with Timewise UK, experts in this field, and between us are conducting a pilot study here that will inform how our whole industry could works more flexibly,” Mick Kelly said. “It’s a very exciting thing for us to be involved with. We don’t know where it will lead but it can only be positive to try ideas out for the benefit of future generations who want to work in this exciting but demanding industry.”
Got a story? Email news@theconstructionindex.co.uk
