National engineering specialist, SES Engineering Services (SES), has been appointed to deliver £25m worth of MEP services to Helical’s latest commercial offering in the capital, known as 33 Charterhouse Street.

Working alongside lead contractor, Mace, SES will provide full mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) services at the 200,000 sq ft 10-storey block in the heart of Farringdon. It will involve a Category A office fit-out, with integrated building services to make the building ‘smart’ and ultimately, more energy efficient – making variables like heating, lighting and security accessible on one network and giving the end user sight and control over the entire building using just one platform.

The build, part-funded by Ashby Capital, has been carefully designed to be Helical’s first commercial offering that targets a BREEAM rating of Outstanding, and will play a significant role in supporting the developer to meet its ambition of having all new developments net zero carbon and in operation by 2025.

SES is working closely with all delivery partners and stakeholders – including the end facilities management company, Ashdown Philipps – to ensure all services can be integrated correctly and are designed for frictionless operation. Offsite technology is playing a large part in delivery, with components built and tested at its offsite manufacturing centre, Prism, while an extensive digital twin model has also been created to ensure seamless assimilation.

The firm’s appointment follows its successful completion of Helical’s Barts Square over two phases in nearby Bartholomew Close, while SES is also working alongside Mace at the landmark Battersea Power Station regeneration.

SES will commence on site in 2021 and will complete next year.

Steve Joyce, SES’ managing director, said:

“Regardless of the challenges thrown at the commercial sector this year, the future of office developments is moving towards a more digital, integrated and sustainable approach and 33 Charterhouse Street will be a fantastic example of this shift.

“We’ve worked with Helical before and their forward-thinking approach matches our own. The client has tasked us, as well as the rest of its delivery partners, with supporting an ambitious, but necessary goal in regard to becoming carbon neutral, and we’re proud to support them in achieving it.

“Integrating so many building systems is an incredibly complex task and early collaboration between ourselves and all stakeholders is vital, as well as the ability to manufacture a large amount offsite. This will save an estimated 14,669 labour hours on site – helping improve efficiency at its central London location, and support arrangements to reduce personnel on site wherever possible in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.”