First offices for Jersey finance centre completes

The first steel-framed office building at the International Finance Centre in Jersey has been completed.

Known as IFC1, the building has been described as a world-class business hub providing 6,300m² of high-quality Grade A office space in the heart of St Helier.

The development by the States of Jersey Development Company was designed by MJP Architects, with Camerons acting as main contractor and Waterman providing structural engineering design.

Elland Steel Structures fabricated, supplied and erected 600t of structural steelwork for the project.

The IFC1 building has been completed as part of the overall master plan that will deliver 43,600m² office space across six stand-alone steel-framed buildings with private car parking spaces beneath the buildings and 520 public parking spaces on three levels below a public park.

“Using steelwork allowed us to design a building with the required column-free spaces as well as providing an integrated solution for all of the services within the steelwork’s depth,” explained Richard Whitehead, Regional Director of Waterman Structures.

IFC1 will be one of the first buildings in the Channel Islands to achieve a BREEAM ‘Excellent rating’. Its carbon performance will be 19% better than the minimum requirement with 20% reduction in energy by using low and zero carbon technologies, including air source heat pumps. The offices have also been designed to use the latest low energy LED lighting with daylight dimming control.

Lee Henry, Managing Director of the States of Jersey Development Company, commented; “The building will provide Jersey’s important financial services industry with premium, column free Grade A office space. Its distinctive appearance and efficient layout, together with its progressive, flexible and sustainable environmental strategy, sets a new standard for office development in Jersey.”

Reza Schuster, Director MJP Architects, said; “MJP are proud to be part of the team delivering a world class new financial district for Jersey’s premier industry. IFC1 has an important place in the overall development, as the first link in the chain between the Waterfront and the Historic Town, and by setting a gold standard for future phases.”

A substantial part of the IFC1 building has already been let – UBS will occupy the 4th and 5th floors while BNP Paribas will be based on the 2nd and 3rd floors.

The construction of the remaining buildings has been split into phases and is being delivered on a building by building basis in response to demand.

The IFC2 building is currently under construction with completion anticipated early 2018.