DfE picks Willmott Dixon Interiors for £34m London office fit-out job

Willmott Dixon Interiors has been picked to modernise the Department for Education’s grade II-listed home in Westminster. 

The fit-out firm has already refurbished offices for the Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for International Trade and will now take on the Sanctuary Buildings on Great Smithfield Street – the job is valued at an estimated £34m. 

Over a 27-month period, the contractor will deliver a phased CAT B fit-out of 12,850 sq m across the three buildings, aiming to create a more modern and sustainable workspace. 

It will add collaborative and open plan offices, break-out areas, as well as upgrading existing plant facilities and installing infrastructure for the future use of solar panels as part of the Department for Education’s (DfE) decarbonisation agenda. 

The offices will continue to be used during the project period, with staff moved between floors during different phases. 

Graham Shaw, managing director at Willmott Dixon Interiors, said: “This will allow the DfE to facilitate hybrid working within its base at Sanctuary Buildings.  

“We’ll be refurbishing the building to modern standards and future proofing its plant facilities to deliver a sustainable workplace environment that promotes wellbeing and inclusivity.”

The contract was awarded via the Southern Construction Framework and the project team includes Arcadis, which is delivering principal design, project management and cost consultancy services.