Santander

Ardmac were chosen as main contractor to complete a full office interior fit-out for CNP Santander; a financial services company. Construction was carried out over a four-month period. 

In the heart of Dublin 2, Santander embarked on a transformative journey to redefine their office space. Santander recognised the imperative need for a revamped and optimised office environment. This project aimed to downsize their existing office space, embracing a strategic change of the floorplate to align with evolving operational requirements. This project consisted of open plan, cellular offices, meeting rooms and a reception area.     

The works within the sub-tenancy demise included the full strip out of the existing fit out. Care was taken by the design team to ensure as much of the existing FF&E as possible was used to minimise waste from the demolition. Ardmac operates and maintains a certified ISO 14001:2018 certified Environmental Management System. As part of our ESG programme ‘Sky Blue’, we work consistently to reduce the environmental impacts of all our business activities. 

The newly reconfigured space, consisted of multiple cellular offices, and a large open plan space equipped with multiple workstations. Large and small meeting spaces, smaller phone booth spaces and break out and canteen spaces for client’s teams. The fitout included the install of all new floor and ceiling finishes, new glazing systems complete with both fluted glass and graphic manifestations and full integrated acoustic systems. 

Mechanical and Electrical systems were fully upgraded as part of the works. The Mechanical works include the supply and Extract Ventilation system, plumbing and waste to micro-kitchen/tea station and additional air conditioning units and the Electrical works included installation of new electrical fittings – power and data, new light fittings and a full upgrade of the fire alarm system. The space was fully equipped with Audio Visual systems to meet the client’s needs and a fully integrated security system that operates across all Santander offices globally. The M&E system was fully integrated with the existing BMS system to ensure full energy monitoring was possible for the remote Santander facilities team. 

Working within an existing multi-tenant area posed numerous challenges for the Ardmac team. We actively coordinated with other tenants and the Landlord team to minimise disturbances, manage noise and dust, work with limited space for logistics, and synchronise tasks with concurrent construction activities, all while always ensuring safety as the priority. Ardmac’s dedicated ‘Safety First’ programme is a significant contributor to our excellent safety performance. For the duration of this project, toolbox talks were executed each morning preparing the team to navigate complexities and minimise disruptions. 

Our client had a clear and defined deadline to vacate their existing space. This resulted in the project needing to be fast tracked to meet agreed timelines. Ardmac work Smart, meaning we have digitalised all our processes. To fast track this project, we used our Last Planner System (LPS). LPS allowed us to plan our programme effectively, removing constraints ahead of time and enabled management to focus on productively delivering the project. Through monitoring field productivity daily, variances were tracked. Last Planner provided us the facility to categorise these variances and thus, identify trends.   

Santander’s office fit-out project stands as a testament to strategic planning, seamless execution, and collaborative expertise. The result is a revitalised workspace that not only meets but exceeds the evolving needs of a dynamic financial institution.