The refurbishment of Jersey’s Liberation House has improved the energy efficiency of the building by almost a third.
The Channel Islands Property Fund bought the building in 2016 and an inspection revealed that a number of modifications were required to bring it up to the latest standards. Since then the specialist real estate investment company has undertaken a multi-million pound, 84 week upgrade.
“While Liberation House is a relatively modern building, building technology has changed significantly over the last decade and so work was required to both the roof and the mechanical and engineering elements. Contrary to the many rumours, the structure of the building has always been completely sound,” said CIPF chairman Shelagh Mason.
“We have been able to complete the necessary works over the last 84 weeks using entirely local labour. It’s testament to the skills and expertise available in Jersey that a project of this size and complexity has been completed by on island contractors and that the building has remained fully occupied throughout. As a property company, that gives us real confidence in the industry and the ability to develop in a sustainable way.”
AC Mauger was appointed as the main contractor and sub-contracted specialist work to Emanee Engineering, Dave Torpy Air Conditioning, Advanced Roofing and Jubilee Scaffolding.
In order to accommodate the new air conditioning and ventilation systems required for the 61,476 sq.ft building, a new raised roof was constructed which has increased the height of the building by 730 mm. While contractors were on site, a number of other works were completed including upgrading the carpark smoke extract system and installing new front entrance doors to make it more accessible for those with disabilities. The works have improved the building’s energy efficiency by 30%.
“The redesign of the roof area will enable contractors easier access for maintenance and also ensures that the building’s M&E is fit for purpose for many years to come. We are grateful to the Tenant’s patience and understanding during this essential work,” said Mrs Mason.
Steve Romeril, Managing Director of AC Mauger, said the company had been delighted to showcase its expertise.
“Liberation House is a prominent building and we were delighted to be appointed as the main contractor. It has been a challenging project working on a live building in a busy location with a variety of different stakeholders. The execution of each task had to be meticulously planned to ensure the building and its tenants could operate as normal while the works progressed. Communication between stakeholders was key in delivering a successful project. Our team and the sub-contractors have done a fantastic job on finishing the project on time and budget.”
AC Mauger’s site office will remain for a number of weeks while it completes a separate project for Rossborough.
