CBRE’s North West Building Consultancy and Project Management team and fit-out specialist Overbury have commenced fit-out works on the Royal College of Physicians’ (RCP) new permanent base in Liverpool at The Spine.
RCP at The Spine will be a beacon of excellence, attracting high quality healthcare professionals and staff, and driving quality improvement in a pioneering atmosphere of collaboration and partnership. Situated in Paddington Village, part of the Knowledge Quarter, RCP at The Spine will use its anchor status in the development to welcome and support medical and scientific organisations joining the Quarter.
CBRE was appointed by the RCP in 2018 to advise on city and site location for their new regional Hub, having provided technical due diligence and project and cost management services alongside wider property advice to the College. RCP signed an agreement for lease taking circa 70,000 sq ft over 7 floors at The Spine building, which is a £35M new build project and part of Liverpool City Council’s Knowledge Quarter development. CBRE is responsible for the delivery of the complex and high specification fit out, which is due to complete in Spring 2021. The team has negotiated a fit-out contract with Overbury on an open book basis and site set up works have subsequently commenced on-site.
RCP at The Spine will provide world-class facilities for medical examinations and assessments, educational courses and conferences, an exhibition space and office areas for RCP staff. The building will be a hub for its work on quality improvement, patient safety and health inequalities.
The scheme captures the changing nature of workplaces, with wellness in mind and body at the heart of the design. RCP at The Spine will be built according to principles established in the WELL Standard, the premier standard for buildings, interior spaces and communities seeking to implement, validate and measure features that support and advance human health and wellness. It consists of seven concepts – air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort and mind. These concepts incorporate a total of 102 features of a building that can be designed to optimise the health of the occupants of the building and create an environment to promote a healthy and happy workforce.
Oliver Thomas, Senior Director and Head of the Northern Building Consultancy team, said;
“We are delighted to be on-site delivering this major commission for the Royal College of Physicians. The development responds to the need for more education and research in northern England, Scotland, north Wales and Northern Ireland and upholds the RCP’s strategic vision to benefit members, fellows and partners in its commitment to improve patient care in the UK and internationally. Despite the challenges resulting from Covid-19 we have ensured that the project can proceed safely and on target for its Spring 2021 completion. The fit out already had Wellness at the heart of the design, optimised for RCP’s workforce and we haven’t had to change the design as a result of COVID-19.”
Peter Knight, Managing Director of Overbury Northern commented, “RCP at The Spine is a unique project for Liverpool and for Overbury. We have been enjoying working with CBRE and the RCP team to help deliver a world class Northern HQ which will be a benchmark for quality and construction excellence in the Knowledge Quarter, Liverpool.”
Professor Andrew Goddard, president of the Royal College of Physicians said: “It is a pleasure to be working with CBRE on our new permanent northern base in Liverpool.
“RCP at The Spine is an incredibly exciting venture that will enable us, for the first time in our 500-year history, to have two large main offices in the North and South of England.
“I’m very much looking forward to watching the building develop and grow with CBRE at the helm.”
