Navigating the Complexities in the Office to Lab Redevelopment
Lateral Property Investments
Nuclera Nucleics at Mortlock House
Following a successful Series B funding round, Nuclera Nucleics Ltd faced the challenge of accommodating a doubling workforce, expected to surpass 100 employees within a year. To address this need, Lateral Property Investments identified an ideal two-floor building close to the original headquarters, set to be operational by Q1 2023. The office space features a CL2 grade laboratory on the ground floor and a fully fitted office on the second floor.
We were appointed as Development Managers and Contract Administrators during contract negotiations with the contractor, leveraging prior experience with Lateral on similar London projects. The tight timeline required a proactive management approach, especially as 40% of the overall contract value remained in provisional sums when strip-out work began without planning approval or finalised design layouts. We focused on driving the contractor’s design and contract teams to expedite outstanding elements while ensuring adherence to the programme.
The project faced several challenges, including planning delays from the local council, a constrained schedule with overlapping elements, and the need for specialist design solutions like a big foot louvre system. However, effective collaboration among the design team facilitated value engineering opportunities, leading to cost savings on mechanical and electrical equipment, lab furniture, and layout optimisations, ensuring a successful outcome for Nuclera Nucleics.
Nuclera Nucleics at Mortlock House
Following a successful Series B funding round, Nuclera Nucleics Ltd faced the challenge of accommodating a doubling workforce, expected to surpass 100 employees within a year. To address this need, Lateral Property Investments identified an ideal two-floor building close to the original headquarters, set to be operational by Q1 2023. The office space features a CL2 grade laboratory on the ground floor and a fully fitted office on the second floor.
We were appointed as Development Managers and Contract Administrators during contract negotiations with the contractor, leveraging prior experience with Lateral on similar London projects. The tight timeline required a proactive management approach, especially as 40% of the overall contract value remained in provisional sums when strip-out work began without planning approval or finalised design layouts. We focused on driving the contractor’s design and contract teams to expedite outstanding elements while ensuring adherence to the programme.
The project faced several challenges, including planning delays from the local council, a constrained schedule with overlapping elements, and the need for specialist design solutions like a big foot louvre system. However, effective collaboration among the design team facilitated value engineering opportunities, leading to cost savings on mechanical and electrical equipment, lab furniture, and layout optimisations, ensuring a successful outcome for Nuclera Nucleics.