Princes: Liverpool

Princes is a UK-based food manufacturer with the headquarters based at The Royal Liver Building in Liverpool. Previously, the company occupied all of the sixth floor and only half of the fifth, however, more office space and a new, contemporary environment was required. When the remaining space of the fifth floor became available, Princes took the opportunity to expand their existing workspace and appointed Claremont Group Interiors for the fulfilment of this office refurbishment project.

Location: Liverpool
Sector: Manufacturing
Project size: 56,000 sq ft
Scope of works: Office Design > Office Fit-out > Office Audio-visual - Refurbishment {Grade 1 Listed Building}

The Brief
Princes’ brief included the demolishing and stripping back all of  the existing decor to expose the original shell of the building and start afresh from that point. Following that, the works required included installing the air conditioning, plumbing, kitchens, suspended ceilings, suspended timber floor installation, all internal partition systems, lighting, power and fire alarm circuits. Princes aimed to create a light and bright office space with more effective storage solutions to  minimise clutter and improve productivity amongst their staff. Claremont was appointed to complete the interior design, office refurbishment and audio-visual installation for this project. In addition, Claremont was also tasked with the creation of a new executive  suite in the new half of the fifth floor overlooking the river.

The Solution
Claremont’s team has created a working space consisting of meeting rooms, a large boardroom with audio-visual technology provided by Viewpoint, an executive suite, open plan offices, kitchens, tea point and comms room. The scheme comprises a new air cooling system working alongside an existing heating system in perimeter radiators, with a new lighting system, which are variously passive controlled and generally light sensitive. A raised floor with electric boxes strategically placed provides power to workstations and printer points and above, a new suspended ceiling houses the M&E. Operable walls and storage walls were installed in the open plan space making storage more  effective.

The Result
Claremont was already on site at The Royal Liver Building,  renovating the common areas when the project commenced. Working closely with Princes’ facilities manager, Claremont was able to create a space which would remain in keeping with the traditional company ethos. In total, Princes occupy approximately 56,000 sq ft, making them the largest tenant, in terms of space, at The Royal Liver Building. The works were completed over a 60 week phased programme and Princes employees decanted into each space as and when hand over took place. Claremont were also responsible for the move management process throughout the works.