Cavendish Fit Out, 1 Basinghall Avenue, London SW1A 1AA.

• Project type – Conference & Events Facility Fit-Out
• Scope – Full RIBA Stage 4 Mechanical Design
• Systems – VAV ventilation, air conditioning, drainage, central plant
• Programme – Fast-track fit-out

We were appointed to deliver a coordinated RIBA Stage 4 detailed design for a conference and events facility within an existing commercial building. The scope included design and coordination of mechanical services for the tenant fit-out, including VAV ventilation, comfort cooling, public health services, and new ventilation central plant.

The design focused on integrating tenant systems with basebuild services including the provision of a flexible ventilation strategy to accommodate high occupancy levels.

The primary challenge associated with the project was managing ventilation requirements driven by high and fluctuating occupancy densities typical of conference spaces. The nature of the space being a conference facility demanded high amount of fresh air which went well above the basebuild provisions. We worked on a design approach that included various occupancy scenarios that closely mirrored the actual occupancy density for each space during the day.

To address this we created a sophisticated variable air volume (VAV) ventilation strategy incorporating CO₂ sensors throughout the facility to monitor occupancy levels. This enabled the system to dynamically regulate airflow, delivering ventilation precisely where and when it was needed while maintaining operational efficiency.

The project was delivered within a fast-paced fit-out programme, requiring close coordination between design teams, contractors, and landlord stakeholders to integrate new services with existing basebuild infrastructure without disrupting ongoing building operations.