Tender: Refurbishment of Waterhouse Building Osteology Basement into Logistics Hub and Collections Store – South Kensington Estate

About

Principal contractor needed to convert the Osteology Store in the basement of the Grade I Listed Waterhouse Building into a temporary 'Logistics Hub' and future collections store as part of the Collection Store Refurbishment (CSR) Project, which forms part of the NHM Unlocked Programme and NHM 150th Anniversary Campaign. The initial works package covers refurbishment and alteration of Rooms B.03, B.07, B.07B-H, B.07J and BC05; demolition of non-original partitions, raised floors and offices (excluding items retained on the eastern wall); construction of a new security lobby with dry-lined partitions and a powered door; repairs to damaged fabric and flooring and pest-prevention measures; window and door repairs and redecoration, installation of secondary glazing to three north-facing windows, adaptations for building services and a new powered external door; removal and rebalancing of existing ventilation systems, strip-out of redundant electrical and data services, and Stage 4 design and installation of new HVAC, electrical, fire alarm, security, BMS and controls systems. All works must follow the fire strategy, maintain the integrity of existing 120-minute compartment walls, provide temporary protection of historic features and include cleaning and making good on completion. This phase prioritises early conversion to support decanting, moves to Thames Valley Science Park and the sale of the South London Collections facility, before transitioning the space to permanent storage for Heavy and Large Objects from the Mineralogy and Palaeontology collections, using a light-touch approach to minimise impact on historic fabric.