Company grows presence in Leeds with Wellington House refurbishment

Willmott Dixon Interiors continues its national growth with two projects to deliver new internal space for West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Havant and South Downs College (HSDC).

The largest scheme is a refurbishment of Wellington House, the headquarters of West Yorkshire Combined Authority in Leeds city centre, which will see the interior specialist transform 48,300 square foot of space at the five-storey building into a modern and collaborative working environment with improved accessibility for employees and visitors.

The project’s scope includes creating flexible office space and larger conference rooms for public meetings, with a reconfigured entrance lobby and internal layout that will allow a better service to members of the public.

Willmott Dixon Interiors was procured for the Wellington House refurbishment via Major Works England and Northern Ireland, a part of the Scape National Construction framework, after the original contractor, Clugston Construction, went into administration. It increases the company’s presence in Leeds following the transformation of Quarry House for the Department of Health and Social Care.

Wellington House was originally constructed in the early 1900s before being rebuilt following fire damage in the late 1980s.

Mark Robinson, Scape Group chief executive:

“Willmott Dixon has a strong track record of providing cutting edge, high-quality facilities for local authorities, where space is maximised and services brought together in an intelligent way, which enables enhanced collaborative working. By accelerating this important project via our framework, West Yorkshire Combined Authority will not only secure value for money for the taxpayer but they will also unlock tangible benefits for the local community, through training, community engagement and through the use of SMEs from the local area.”

Also, Willmott Dixon Interiors’ Projects Below £3million team, which specialise in fast-paced refurbishments, has been appointed by Havant and South Downs College (HSDC) to design and refurbish two of its three campuses during the summers of 2020 and 2021. The work this summer will be completed within an eight-week programme and includes the strip-out of the 1st floor of the college’s Main Building in preparation for refurbishment work in summer 2021.

Havant College North Hall Reception 01.jpg

CGI of Havant College's new reception area

Willmott Dixon Interiors’ in-house team is developing the design, which also includes upgrading the M&E alongside creating a senior management suite, multi-use teaching space and a digital learning hub in preparation for the arrival of T-Levels from September.

Graham Shaw, managing director of Willmott Dixon Interiors:

“These new wins continue our expansion, especially in Leeds where we now have a growing track-record in this city. It’s also pleasing to see our specialist Projects Below £3million team provide a fast-paced refurbishment at Havant and South Downs College which will meet their time-scale needs.”