SOBEN have completed the pre-contract commission for Phase 1 of the massive Royal Albert Dock regeneration project in London.
This involves a £200million contract to build about 700,000 square feet of office and retail space in 20 tower blocks and a £40million contract covering infrastructure and enabling works.
Soben prepared bills of quantities for all key trade packages in a three-week period to enable leading contractor Multiplex Europe to negotiate and agree the contract price.
Soben worked with specialist contractors and the client’s technical team to value engineer temporary works and groundworks design.
The 4.7m sq ft (35-acre) docklands scheme next to London’s City Airport is being promoted as London’s third business and financial district, after the City of London and Canary Wharf.
It will become the headquarters of Chinese and other Asian companies, enabling them to reach new markets across Europe, and it will, in turn, be a hub for European companies looking to trade with them.
The first phase of the project – which comprises mainly offices but includes residential, retail and public realm spaces – is due to be completed in 2018 at the same time that London’s high-speed rail link, Crossrail, opens nearby.
The developer of Royal Albert Dock, Chinese company ABP, specialises in creating large-scale enterprise districts, through significant projects, bringing together clusters of companies.
It is hoped that more than 30,000 jobs will be created and £6billion will be pumped into the economy.
Soben Managing Director Scott Smyth said: “To be working alongside such massive names on arguably the most prestigious development project in the United Kingdom right now, is a testament to our professionalism, experience and commitment.”
Multiplex, formerly Brookfield Multiplex, are leading global contractors with established operations in Europe, Canada, the Middle East, Australia and India and have constructed more than 935 projects across the world.
They are renowned for the delivery of highly complex construction projects.