Bracken House under construction

Bracken House London


MEP Design Management for the Refurbishment of an Iconic Grade II Listed Building

JDZ provided MEP Design Management services supporting Turner & Townsend on the refurbishment of Bracken House, one of the City's most recognisable heritage buildings and the long-standing home of the Financial Times.

The project involved the delivery of a comprehensive Cat A and Cat B refurbishment programme, requiring careful coordination of modern building services within a Grade II listed environment.


The Challenge

Bracken House is a Grade II listed building located in the heart of the City of London, adjacent to St Paul's Cathedral.

  • Refurbishment of approximately 270,000 sq ft of Grade A office accommodation.
  • Integration of modern MEP systems within a heritage building.
  • Coordination between landlord, tenant, consultants and contractors.
  • Management of Cat A and Cat B delivery requirements.
  • Protection of the building's heritage significance while achieving contemporary workplace standards.

Why JDZ

JDZ had previously undertaken multiple Cat A and Cat B projects within the building between 2001 and 2011, working both for the landlord, Obayashi Corporation, and previous occupiers including Mizuho Bank.

This familiarity with the building, its services infrastructure and stakeholder requirements positioned JDZ as a trusted partner for the refurbishment programme.

JDZ Added Value

"JDZ was reappointed to Bracken House following a long history of successful project delivery within the building, supporting both landlord and tenant teams across multiple refurbishment programmes spanning more than a decade."

Working alongside Turner & Townsend, JDZ was responsible for managing the MEP design workstream throughout the project.

Our responsibilities included:

MEP Design Management

Consultant Coordination

Design Review and Governance

Contractor Production Information Review

Stakeholder Coordination

Design Programme Management

Heritage Building Services Integration

Construction Phase Technical Oversight

JDZ managed the interface between Arup as MEP designers and McLaren / Skanska for contractor production information, helping maintain alignment between design intent and construction delivery.


Project Outcome

JDZ successfully supported the refurbishment of Bracken House, helping deliver modern Grade A office accommodation within one of London's most recognisable heritage properties.

The project further strengthened a relationship that had seen JDZ repeatedly appointed to support multiple refurbishment and fit-out programmes within the building over many years.

This project demonstrates JDZ's ability to provide effective design management services on complex commercial refurbishments where heritage, stakeholder and technical requirements must all be carefully balanced.

Project Overview

Client: Obayashi Corporation

Tenant: Financial Times

Contractor: McLaren Construction

Project Value: £90M

MEP Value: £30M

Completion: November 2018

Sector: Commercial Office / Heritage

Service: MEP Design Management


JDZ Difference

Bracken House demonstrates JDZ's ability to combine:

Heritage Building Experience

MEP Design Management Expertise

Commercial Refurbishment Knowledge

Client-Side Representation

Stakeholder Coordination

Long-Term Client Relationships

Our experience working client-side, contractor-side and consultant-side enables us to develop practical solutions that support successful project outcomes while safeguarding client objectives.


Delivering Complex Projects

Whether refurbishing heritage buildings, upgrading commercial offices or managing complex stakeholder requirements, JDZ provides the technical leadership and design management expertise needed to support successful project delivery.

Looking for similar support on your project? Contact JDZ to discuss your requirements.

See Other Projects we have delivered