FBS Construction worked for Wates Living Space to structurally transform the Apple Regent Street for approximately £2.5 million and with just 10 months on site. We supported five floors of live offices with a complex temporary works design while highly loaded columns were removed to open up the new retail space. Working with Foster + Partners and our trusted construction partners who regularly fabricate and install steelwork working alongside us, the project followed a new design concept initially revealed at sister stores in San Francisco and Brussels.
The new works involved significant structural changes to the primary building frame. These included recessing second floor beams to provide greater ceiling height, relocation of primary structural columns, installation of new transfer structures, removal of the existing mezzanine level and support to new stonework walls and staircases, all within the fully occupied commercial building.
To reduce downtime for the store we introduced a temporary retail facility in the basement space while allowing our more significant structural works to progress behind the scenes at the upper levels. This required the strategic sequencing, which had to adapt the continually changing construction envelope. The office floors above remained fully operational and undisturbed throughout the process and enabled us to complete the Project on time to a vastly accelerated programme.
