Vertical Transportation

The first in a group of three buildings, North Quay House was a multi-tenanted office in Bristol situated within the Quayside development. Acquired in 2019, our client aspirations for Quayside were to bring life back to the three buildings through a full interior and exterior refurbishment whilst repositioning the buildings for a new generation of occupiers.

We were appointed by our client to project manage the refurbishment of North Quay House into Neighbourhood North, an environmentally conscious office space that is exemplary in both appearance and performance. Neighbourhood North is the first of the three buildings to be transformed within the low carbon community of ‘Neighbourhood’ and we are delighted to have played our part in bringing our client’s vision to life.  

Works to the property included stripping out all the internal areas, removing selected roof gables, removing and extending the existing windows, and replacing the roof coverings. Upgrades were also made to the building including improvements to the landscaping scheme, installing solar PV panels to the roof, conducting a full capital plant replacement, and upgrading the electrical supply and lifts. We managed a full refurbishment and upgrade of the toilet and end-of-journey facilities – showers, changing rooms, lockers – alongside installing new ceilings and lighting throughout the building. In addition, there is a lateral extension to create a new entrance and reception area.  

Throughout all stages of development, Neighbourhood North has considered its lifecycle carbon. Every step of the refurbishment has been questioned to understand whether its value outweighed the embodied carbon impact, resulting in an environmentally conscious development.  

The project’s sustainability headlines include:

• 218 tonnes of embodied carbon emissions have been saved by retaining the existing raised access flooring, utilising CLT upper floors and roof structure within the extension, using 30% GGBS within the extension sub-structure concrete, and installing new timber-aluminium hybrid windows and curtain walling throughout.
• On completion of the refurbishment works, 29.57% of savings will be achieved on residual CO2 emissions due to specification of air source heat pumps and PV panels.
• 16.4% reduction in energy demand per m2 floor area is anticipated due to the implementation of passive design measures 
  Due to the prioritisation of ESG measures, and reusing the building’s existing fabric, Neighbourhood North is on track to achieve BREEAM Outstanding and EPC A.  

Our client's plans for Neighbourhood North will be emulated across the remaining two buildings, using the same carbon considerations and external aesthetic. We look forward to seeing the Neighbourhood community reach completion in years to come and be enjoyed by future occupiers.  

A long-term partnership across nine years 
We were appointed by DWS through the entire lifecycle of two major office buildings in Cardiff, beginning with Technical Due Diligence for the acquisition in 2016 and culminating in their successful disposal in 2025. Over this nine-year period, Hollis delivered a wide range of services, all under one roof, demonstrating the value of a fully integrated consultancy approach.

Strategic support from acquisition to exit 
Our involvement began with technical due diligence during the acquisition phase. From there, we provided ongoing consultancy throughout the client’s ownership, including:

• Dilapidations and lease strategy: Settled a dilapidations claim on Building 4 to enable a short-term lease renewal. We then managed a complex strip-out project across three floors to support a rates mitigation strategy, working closely with the client’s ratings surveyor while maintaining tenant occupation on two floors.
• ESG and sustainability: Delivered EPCs and improvement reports, advised on MEES compliance and strategy, and prepared ESG due diligence reports for the vendor packs.
• Technical and operational services: Provided MEP engineering, vertical transportation consultancy, planned maintenance reviews, health and safety audits, measured surveys, and drone data capture.
• Tenant alterations: Provided technical advice in respect of tenant alterations and fit outs.   
• Planned Maintenance: Prepared a PPM for building 3. This allowed the client to get an understanding of the maintenance requirements over a 10-year period and set service charge budgets.  
   

A seamless disposal process 
In early 2025, we prepared comprehensive vendor TDD packs to support the sale of both buildings. The properties were successfully sold in October, marking the end of a strategic and collaborative journey.

Challenges and opportunities  
One of the most significant challenges was managing the strip-out of three floors in Building 4 while a tenant remained in occupation on two other floors. This required careful planning to maintain health and safety standards and minimise disruption. Shared M&E services added complexity, demanding precise coordination to avoid service interruptions.

The strip-out formed part of a rates mitigation strategy, which meant close collaboration with the client’s rating surveyor was essential. We worked proactively to ensure the scope and execution of the works met the client’s objectives for reducing rates liability on the vacated floors, while maintaining compliance and operational continuity for the occupied areas.

A showcase of multidisciplinary, in-house expertise 
This project exemplifies how Hollis can support clients across every stage of the property lifecycle. From acquisition to disposal, all services were delivered in-house, ensuring consistency, efficiency, and strategic alignment throughout.

We are delighted to have provided a multi-service offering to our client City Developments Ltd, enabling them to mitigate risk in their acquisition of St Katharine Docks in London. Our service offering included Technical Due Diligence, Mechanical and Electrical, Vertical Transportation, ESG Consulting, Environmental Consulting, and Reinstatement Cost Assessments. 
 
An iconic site, St Katharine Docks Marina is a 525,449 sq ft riverside and marina office and leisure estate located in the heart of Central London. Originally constructed circa 1830, St Katharine Docks has a rich history in the British trading empire, facilitating the trade of luxury goods. The effects of the Second World War led to the regeneration of St Katharine Docks in the 1970s to what it is today. 
 
St Katharine Docks is arranged over four principal buildings: Devon House, International House, Commodity Quay and Ivory House. Additional ancillary buildings including the Marble Quay, Dickens Inn, Cloisters Walk, and the Haven building complete the site alongside the marina, carpark and public realms areas. Since its redevelopment, St Katharine Docks now attracts over 5.9 million visitors per annum. 
 
We were instructed to inspect, report and provide commentary on the condition of the properties and public realm demised to St Katharine Docks. Providing a multi-service offering, a dedicated team of building surveyors, specialist mechanical, electrical and lift engineers, and both environmental and ESG consultants inspected the properties. A pre-acquisition survey report was produced detailing the condition of the building in conjunction with an M&E report, ESG report, full phase 1 Environmental report and a Reinstatement Cost Assessment for the entire site. 
 
Given the scale and complexity of the site, it was imperative that we coordinated our services to inspect all required areas within the transaction timetable. Out inspections remained sensitive to the requirements of the vendor, who wished for minimal disruption to the operations of the occupiers. Showing excellent client care and being sympathetic to both our client and vendor requirements, we were able to overcome all challenges, all whilst adopting a ‘one team’ approach and working collaboratively with all stakeholders. 
 
We are proud to have delivered for our client on such an iconic and historic area of real estate in central London.