North Colonnade, Canary Wharf, London

Client: American alternative investment management company

Square footage: 359,800sqft

We were engaged to provide full commissioning management services on this 359,800 sqft, 15-floor shell & core upgrade project in Canary Wharf. The project included an extension of the podium level towards the north dock, providing additional CAT A as well as creating a brand-new market hall. There was also a reconfiguration of the south entrance creating an inviting new reception entrance and enhanced retail space.

Further modifications of the existing core incorporated two additional passenger lifts as well as extending two existing lifts to the top of the building enhancing the lifting capacity. Reconfiguration of the MEP provision aided in creating BCO compliant CAT A fit-out.

We were appointed as the Contractor-side Commissioning Managers (CxC). As the independent commissioning manager, we worked under the main contractor providing specialist building services knowledge which was paramount on this project as there were no dedicated commissioning managers from any of the MEP trades.

Our biggest value on the project was managing the MEP trade contractors and subcontractors, providing technical consultancy, and playing an active role in fault-finding exercises.

We worked closely with all stakeholders, developing strategies to mitigate risks and issues which could have affected handovers – which was integral in the project achieving the market hall sectional completion and N+1 practical completion dates.  

One of the biggest challenges we overcome was creating a ‘link-bridge’ of communication and technical insight across the project team. Often made difficult by stretched resource and the multiple programme revisions – this, in particular, made it difficult to hold teams accountable, so we had to regularly adapt and manage disconnect to ensure deliverables were achieved.