Harbour Shipping – New Office Building

The Challenge

Harbour Shipping required the delivery of a new office building to support their business. The project will provide approximately 820m^2 of offices on 3 storeys with parking and associated paved roadways.

During the design phase, the project needed careful coordination between the various disciplines to provide a design that was efficient, cost effective and a design that suited the proposed use by the client.

Some of the unique challenges to the project include: The building is situated in an area of high radon, a high risk of unexploded ordinance, a congested site due to the size of the building & associated car park, associated S278 roadworks and a slight slope to the ground of the building footprint.

Adverse weather conditions, including sub-zero temperatures, presented additional challenges that could disrupt progress.

The Solution

In coordination with Architects, Structural Engineers, Civil Engineering & Drainage Engineers, a proposal was put forward to the client and accepted. The solution was a 3-storey steel frame clad building with central lift shaft supported on raft/pad foundations and associate paved roadways. The building included an under croft carpark to maximise the use of space on the land to accommodate client parking requirements.

The design included a side & rear retaining wall to the building footprint to allow the under croft carpark to be constructed. A full radon barrier and passive ventilation system installed to protect against radon. Drainage & attenuation was designed to accommodate any surface water runoff. Kitchens, meeting rooms, open plan office spaces, server rooms and storage rooms were designed in accordance with client requirements.

All Architectural, structural, civil and drainage design was undertaken by GGP, with the M&E design being subcontracted. GGP Consult was appointed as the Project Manager, taking responsibility for coordinating and overseeing all aspects of the project’s delivery.

The Result

During the project, by managing the interface between the client, contractors, and stakeholders, GGP ensured clear communication, effective planning, and proactive risk management.

The project finished on schedule in December 2024 and signed off by Building Control.